Southern US Braces for 'Potentially Catastrophic' Ice Storm This Weekend
Forecasters have issued urgent warnings about a new and potentially devastating ice storm set to sweep across the southern United States this weekend, threatening to cause widespread disruption just as northern regions recover from severe snow and freezing temperatures.
Widespread Weather Event Described as Potentially Catastrophic
The impending weather event, expected to arrive late this week and continue into the weekend, is being described as a "widespread potentially catastrophic event from Texas to the Carolinas," according to Ryan Maue, a former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Maue expressed serious concern about the storm's potential impact, stating: "I don't know how people are going to deal with it."
Forecasters issued warnings on Tuesday that the accumulation of ice could heavily burden trees and power lines, leading to extensive power outages across the affected states. Keith Avery, CEO of the Newberry Electric Cooperative in South Carolina, underscored the severity of the threat. "If you get a half of an inch of ice — or heaven forbid an inch of ice — that could be catastrophic," he stated.
National Weather Service Issues Dire Forecast
The National Weather Service warned of "great swaths of heavy snow, sleet, and treacherous freezing rain" starting Friday in much of the nation's midsection and then shifting toward the East Coast through Sunday. Temperatures will be slow to warm in many areas, meaning ice that forms on roads and sidewalks might stick around for an extended period, according to forecasters.
The exact timing of the approaching storm — and where it is headed — remained uncertain on Tuesday. Forecasters acknowledge it can be challenging to predict precisely which areas could see rain and which ones could be punished with ice accumulation.
Clashing Weather Systems to Fuel Major Winter Storm
An extremely cold arctic air mass is set to dive south from Canada, setting up a clash with the cold temperatures and rain that will be streaming eastward across the southern United States.
"This is extreme, even for this being the peak of winter," National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Jackson said of the cold temperatures. When the cold air meets the rain, the likely result will be "a major winter storm with very impactful weather, with all the moisture coming up from the Gulf and encountering all this particularly cold air that's spilling in," Jackson explained.
Atmospheric River Could Set Up Across Southern States
An atmospheric river of moisture could be in place by the weekend, pulling precipitation across Texas and other states along the Gulf Coast and continuing across Georgia and the Carolinas, according to forecasters.
"Global models are painting a concerning picture of what this weekend could look like, with an increasingly strong signal for ice storm potential across North Georgia and portions of central Georgia," according to the National Weather Service's Atlanta office.
If significant accumulations of ice strike metro Atlanta, it could be a problem through the weekend since low temperatures early Monday are expected to be around 22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 5.6 Celsius) in Atlanta. The city's high temperature on Monday is forecast to be around 35 degrees Fahrenheit (1.7 Celsius).
Travel Disruption Expected Across Multiple States
Travel is a major concern, as southern states have less equipment to remove snow and ice from roads, and extremely cold temperatures expected after the storm could prevent ice from melting for several days. The storm is also expected to impact many of the nation's major hub airports, including those in:
- Dallas
- Atlanta
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Charlotte, North Carolina
Texas Could Be Harbinger for Other Southern Regions
Some of the storm's earliest impacts could be in Texas on Friday, as the arctic air mass slides south through much of the state, National Weather Service forecaster Sam Shamburger said in a briefing on the storm.
"At the same time, we're expecting rain to move into much of the state," Shamburger explained. Low temperatures could fall into the 20s or even the teens in parts of Texas by Saturday, with the potential for a wintery mix of weather in the northern part of the state.
Forecasters cautioned that significant uncertainty remains, particularly over how much ice or snow could fall across north and central Texas. "It's going to be a very difficult forecast," Shamburger acknowledged, highlighting the challenges in predicting this complex weather system.
