The National Weather Service has issued multiple Winter Storm Watches covering much of the local listening area, with differing impacts and timelines depending on location. Residents are urged to pay close attention to which conditions apply to their area.
For Adams, Concordia, Copiah, Franklin (MS), Jefferson, and Lincoln counties, including Natchez, Vidalia, Ferriday, Brookhaven, Crystal Springs, Hazlehurst, Meadville, Roxie, Wesson, Bude, Fayette, and West Ferriday, a Winter Storm Watch is in effect from late Saturday night through Sunday afternoon.
In this area, forecasters are calling for ice accumulations around one-tenth of an inch, with localized amounts up to one-quarter of an inch possible. These amounts could lead to slick roads and difficult travel, especially on bridges and overpasses.
A separate and more significant Winter Storm Watch is in effect for a broader area, including much of central, northern, and western Mississippi, as well as parts of northeast Louisiana and southeast Arkansas. This includes cities such as Jackson, Vicksburg, Greenville, Greenwood, Starkville, Grenada, Yazoo City, Cleveland, Tallulah, Bastrop, and many surrounding communities.
This watch runs from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon and calls for heavy mixed precipitation, with significant ice and sleet accumulations possible. In these areas, the National Weather Service warns that travel could become impossible, with widespread power outages lasting more than a day and extensive tree damage possible due to heavy ice buildup.
Residents across the entire region are encouraged to monitor forecast updates closely, as exact impacts may change. Those in the higher-impact watch area should consider delaying travel altogether, while everyone should begin preparing now for potentially hazardous winter weather this weekend.
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