Jan. 8 (UPI) — A developing winter storm system is threatening many southern states with a mix of snow, sleet and rain late Wednesday night and into Friday, the National Weather Service says.
The storm system will form Wednesday night across parts of West Texas and expand northward across the Red River Valley, southern Ozark Mountains, the Mid-South and into the Tennessee Valley throughout Thursday and into Friday, NWS forecasters said.
“A large swath of heavy snow is expected to dangerously impact travel from southeast Oklahoma through much of Tennessee where accumulations have the potential to exceed 6 inches,” NWS forecasters said.
The weather will transition from snow to sleet and freezing rain as warmer air aloft mixes with sub-freezing temperatures at the surface, which could make road travel very dangerous.
“The freezing rain will turn surfaces from roads to sidewalks to trees and power lines icy, leading to hazardous travel and the concern for downed tree branches and power outages from portions of Texas, Arkansas and parts of the Southeast,” NWS forecasters said.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for much of the South, including Dallas; Little Rock, Ark.; Nashville and Memphis; Birmingham, Ala.; and Atlanta, ABC News reported.
Those areas could see up to 6 inches of snowfall by the weekend, but local officials don’t anticipate power-system disruptions due to winter weather.
The storm system could bring up to 8 inches of snowfall to northern Alabama on Thursday and Friday, including the Huntsville International Airport, where officials are preparing for the winter storm.
Airport officials said they won’t close as the storm system passes through the area, but some flights might be affected by the winter weather.
Little Rock could see up to 10 inches of snowfall through Friday evening, while Memphis, Nashville and Atlanta are expecting much less snowfall but might be impacted by freezing rain.
A winter storm warning extends into western Tennessee and Alabama and southern Missouri for Thursday and Friday with high temperatures in the low 30s during the daytime hours.
The NWS has issued a winter storm watch in North Georgia and Atlanta on Friday with up to 4 inches of accumulation possible, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.