After enduring slushy roads and icy bridges last week, the Golden Triangle is likely in for another winter storm Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
About 2 to 3 inches of snow could fall Wednesday in Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Noxubee counties, which are under a winter storm watch through late Wednesday night, the NWS at Jackson has reported.
In Columbus and Starkville, a light rain is expected to begin falling at about noon Wednesday, followed by a mixture of snow, rain and sleet from about 2 to 5 p.m., said NWS meteorologist Allan Campbell. The rain and sleet will stop at about 5 or 6 p.m. while the snow will continue to fall until about 3 a.m. Thursday.
The rain is expected to start again early Thursday, which will have gusts of wind as high as 20 mph, Campbell said. Temperatures in the mid-30s could mean most of the snow will not melt until Friday.
The storm system, which is coming from the Rocky Mountains, will likely hit Arkansas hardest, weakening by the time it reaches Mississippi, Campbell said.
“It”ll still pack enough of a punch to bring some widespread snowfall across the area,” he said.
In Mississippi, most of the snow will fall in the Delta, he said.
The storm comes on the heels of the disastrous winter weather Thursday, when Lowndes County and Columbus reported 58 collisions and 12 vehicle assists, many caused by icy bridges.
As the Wednesday storm approaches, local utility companies are gearing up for any power outages, said 4-County Electric Power Association spokesman Jon Turner.
“We”re keeping an eye on (the weather),” he said.
One of the main concerns raised by the weather, which has been “unseasonably” cold since December, is energy efficiency, Turner said. To keep bills low, customers should try and conserve energy during the storm.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
