Brutally Cold Arctic Air Brings Unusual Winter Storm to the South
A powerful winter storm is expected to bring snow and ice to the southern United States, just days after a devastating storm killed at least four people and caused widespread power outages. The storm will take an unusual track through the South, with snow and ice expected in Texas and other parts of the region.
The storm will begin to impact the region on Wednesday night, with light snow and freezing drizzle expected in western Texas. Thursday will be the most impactful day for winter weather, with snow expected to begin before sunrise in northern Texas and continue into Thursday night. A wide area of 3 to 6 inches of snow is possible from northern Texas to southeast Oklahoma and southwest Arkansas.
Temperatures will be extremely cold, with temperatures in the 20s in northern Texas and the teens in parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas. This will make it difficult for snow to melt, increasing the chances of it sticking to the ground.
The storm will also bring sleet and freezing rain to some areas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. This could create hazardous conditions, especially on roads and highways. In addition, rain and thunderstorms are expected to soak central and south Texas, including Austin and Houston, with flooding possible in coastal areas.
The storm’s track is still uncertain, and small changes could significantly impact the outcome. Some areas could start as snow but change over to an icy mix, while others could start as rain or an icy mix and gradually change over to snow.
The storm is expected to continue to impact the region through the weekend, with two possible scenarios. In the first scenario, the storm will track east and exit into the Atlantic, bringing wintry weather to the Carolinas and possibly some areas farther north. In the second scenario, the storm will track east before curving north and bringing a wintry mess to parts of the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, with snow possible in the Northeast’s populous I-95 corridor.