Thursday, December 23, 2010

Updated statement on Christmas winter weather potential

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
717 AM CST THU DEC 23 2010

...SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW STILL EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT AND EARLY CHRISTMAS MORNING FOR PARTS OF THE MID-SOUTH...

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRAVERSE THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY... AND EMERGE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO FRIDAY NIGHT. A WINTRY MIX IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BEGINNING LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON WELL NORTH OF THE MEMPHIS METROPOLITAN AREA. MAINLY RAIN IS EXPECTED ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-40 IN EASTERN ARKANSAS WITH VERY LITTLE FALLING EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES AND BEGINS TO INTERACT WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE TO THE NORTH... PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD FRIDAY EVENING. AT THIS POINT... IT APPEARS RAIN WILL FALL IN THE METRO AREA WITH A MIX OF PRECIPITATION /RAIN-SNOW-SLEET/ FARTHER NORTH.

COLDER AIR WILL BEGIN PUSHING SOUTH LATER FRIDAY EVENING AND ESPECIALLY OVERNIGHT ALLOWING PRECIPITATION TO CHANGE TO SNOW FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. THE RAIN/SNOW LINE SHOULD BE LOCATED NEAR THE TENNESSEE/MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE AROUND MIDNIGHT. THE SYSTEM WILL PUSH EAST AND LEAVE A FEW LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES... POSSIBLY MIXED WITH DRIZZLE... IN ITS WAKE FOR CHRISTMAS DAY.

LATEST SNOWFALL PROJECTIONS INDICATE AROUND AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE METRO AREA BY SATURDAY. SLIGHTLY LOWER ACCUMULATIONS AROUND ONE HALF INCH ARE EXPECTED NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI/TENNESSEE STATE LINE DUE TO A LATER CHANGE OVER TO SNOW.

WHILE THERE ARE STILL UNCERTAINTIES WITH THIS FORECAST... IT APPEARS PORTIONS OF THE MID-SOUTH MAY BE PLACED UNDER A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN LATER FORECASTS. THIS IS A LARGE SYSTEM AFFECTING MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY SO IF YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL... STAY TUNED TO LATER FORECASTS.

NWS/MWN


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