Tuesday afternoon update on winter storm conditions

My thinking has changed very little today with regards to the upcoming winter weather spell. The NWS has issued a Winter Storm Watch for all of west TN and northeast AR that begins Wednesday night at midnight and continues through Thursday at 6pm. This was issued less for snow amounts and more for overall impact. While snow amounts will generally be manageable (though "manageable snow" may be an oxymoron in this part of the country), the timing (impacts to Thursday AM rush hour), coupled with the very cold air and gusty wind right on the snow's heels make the watch the right decision as far as I am concerned.

As to snow amounts and timing, my target snow accumulation for the metro area is 1-2", less over north Mississippi and more up towards Tipton County and north. It should begin after midnight Thursday morning, accumulating as soon as it starts, with most of it ending by 7-9am as the cold front moves through. Not a significant snow as snow storms go... However, behind the front, cold air will whip in on gusty northwest wind, creating some blowing snow conditions during the day as gusts reach 30 mph, and temps will fall through the 20s in the afternoon, reaching a low in the lower teens Friday morning with wind chill readings near zero. Very cold Arctic conditions will persist through the weekend. Please take all precautions against the cold AHEAD of this storm, rather than after the temperature has dropped into the single digits. You can find Extreme Cold Weather Tips from MWN by clicking here.

I'll continue to update as conditions warrant, and remember that MemphisWeather.net has you covered with all the resources you need:

WXLIVE! - live realtime conditions from the northern suburbs of Memphis

Winter weather watches/warnings/statements by e-mail

MWN StormView Radar - interactive radar with winter precipitation mode

The MWN Forecast - the most accurate public forecast for the Memphis area

MWN on Facebook and Twitter - for more rapid updates on changing weather conditions

MWN Mobile - current conditions, radar, and forecast for those on the go

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