Confidence in a winter weather event impacting North and Central parts of the region continues to increase.
Winter storm watch: A winter storm watch has been issued for parts of Central and East Alabama from 6am Friday morning through 9am Saturday morning.
Setup: An area of low pressure will develop over the Western Gulf of Mexico late tomorrow into early Friday, and track east across the Gulf Coast Region through Saturday. And at the same time, a blast of Arctic air, likely the strongest of the winter season thus far, will push into the region.
The cold air, combined with the moisture from the low, will set the stage for winter weather to impact parts of North Texas, and North and Central Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama from Friday morning through Saturday morning.
Accumulations: The global models are no longer in agreement as much as they were yesterday, with the GFS being more agressive than the ECWMF. Therefore, there is still some uncertainty regarding snowfall accumulations, and placement of the highest accumulations.
At this time light accumulations are expected, with 2 – 3″ of snow possible across East/Central Alabama in the winter storm watch area. Elsewhere, 1 – 2″ of snow or less is possible across parts of Northern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Additionally, a wintry mix will also be possible across parts of Southeast Louisiana, South/Central Mississippi, and South/Central Alabama Friday night.
Impacts: This is not going to be a major winter storm, and major impacts such as power outages are not expected. However, icy conditions, including on roadways, will be possible in areas that receive precipitation (winter precipitation or otherwise) and have temperatures dip below freezing.
Note: The forecast will likely change over the next 24 – 48 hours, especially regarding snowfall accumulations and placement. For up to date information and information specific to your local area you should consult the National Weather Service.
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