A Dangerous Ice Storm Takes Shape in the South
A powerful winter storm is unfolding in the South, threatening to bring widespread power outages and major travel disruptions to millions of Americans. Ice Storm Warnings have been expanded across the region, including in Charlotte, Raleigh, Memphis, Greenville, and other areas. According to FOX Weather Meteorologist Ian Oliver, the potentially catastrophic threat is forecast to bring dangerous winter weather to millions in the region.
As the historic winter storm begins to take shape, over 235 million Americans across 40 states will feel the impacts of the vicious storm’s 2,300-mile-long winter weather footprint. While some areas will see significant snow for the first time in a decade, others in the South will face crippling ice that threatens to paralyze the region.
Impacts of the Ice Storm
Widespread power outages, major transportation disruptions, falling trees, and downed power lines are all possible as Ice Storm Warnings have expanded across the Southeast. The weight of the ice will compromise power lines and topple trees, leading to hazardous travel conditions, particularly on major interstates such as I-20, I-40, and I-95.
This graphic displays the ice forecast through Monday. (FOX Weather)
More than 15 states, from Nevada to Pennsylvania, are forecast to see different levels of ice accretion from the vicious winter storm. A particularly vulnerable corridor includes Little Rock, Arkansas, Oxford, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, where up to 0.75 inches of ice is possible, with some localized areas potentially seeing over an inch of ice.
Crippling Ice and Power Outages
“A lot of our reliable forecast modeling has some places where ice totals exceed an inch. You have numbers like that: trees are coming down, power lines are coming down, traveling on the roads is impossible, and those power outages will be extended as it will be a huge clean-up, plus, for an extended period of time. It will be challenging for crews to get to some of these areas where the outages occur,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Ian Oliver said.
This graphic displays Winter Weather Alerts in the Southeast. (FOX Weather)
Widespread power outages are likely as the weight of the ice compromises lines and topples trees. Travel will become extremely hazardous, particularly on major interstates such as I-20, I-40, and I-95, where significant icing will lead to dangerous or near-impossible driving conditions.
Ice Storm Warnings and Travel Disruptions
Ice Storm Warnings now stretch across eight states from Arkansas to North Carolina. The threat of ice continues into the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, with major cities and local areas potentially seeing crippling ice totals as the storm tracks north.
This graphic displays the power outage forecast map through Monday. (FOX Weather)
Cities including Richmond, Washington D.C., and Baltimore could all see 0.50 inches of ice accretion, on top of potentially record snowfall totals this decade. Though New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston will have their hands full with snow, ice accretion will be a much lesser concern if at all.
Understanding Ice Accretion and Its Impacts
Ice accretion occurs as a result of freezing rain, which forms when snow falls through a layer of air in the atmosphere with a temperature higher than 32 degrees, melting the snowflakes into raindrops. The rain then moves into a shallow layer of subfreezing air near the ground, causing the precipitation to freeze on contact with roads, sidewalks, trees, power lines, cars, and other objects, which can be extremely dangerous when totals begin to add up.
FILE: This photo from a historic ice storm in North Carolina in December 2002 provides a brief glimpse into the catastrophic impacts of an ice storm. (National Weather Service in Raleigh / FOX Weather)
The catastrophic results of a dangerous ice storm were on display in North Carolina in December 2002, when more than one million people across the state lost power. It took nine days before electrical services were completely restored across the state, with damage assessments totaling more than $110 million statewide, according to a report from North Carolina State University.
With this major winter storm packing all the necessary ingredients for a damaging ice storm, the results could cripple power, cause massive travel delays, and bring potentially catastrophic impacts to the affected region. For the latest updates and forecasts, visit Here
Image Source: www.foxweather.com
