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(weather.com)
UPDATE: Just in case - report weather closings by email todd.vinyard@journalinc.com or call 678-1586. Sorry school folks no closings reported right now.
UPDATE: From Journal's Sheena Barnett - A few snow flurries and bits of sleet fell throughout Monday across Northeast Mississippi, hours before a winter weather warning took affect in the area.
The National Weather Service in Memphis announced the warning at about 4:15 p.m. Monday, after previously issuing winter weather watches and advisories throughout the day.
Mostly rain fell in the Iuka area on Monday, with a few flurries and sleet spotted in Oxford on Monday morning. Flecks of snow and sleet were seen throughout the day in Tupelo.
Two to four inches of snow was predicted for Monday night, possibly more in localized areas.
“The heaviest snow will probably be north of Tupelo, probably near the Tennessee border – the Booneville area, for example,” said Bill Borghoff, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Memphis. “It will mainly stick in grassy areas and elevated areas. Roads should be mainly OK. There could be some slick spots in bridges and overpasses.”
The snow should clear by 6 a.m., with some sun in the afternoon Tuesday. Temperatures will stay in the 40s, with more sun and highs in the 50s later in the week, he said.
UPDATE: Baldwyn has moved its Christmas Parade to Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. due to the weather.
UPDATE: From the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency -
PEARL – The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for 10 counties in northern Mississippi beginning at 6 p.m. and continuing through noon Tuesday.
Below-freezing temperatures, icy precipitation and snow accumulations of three inches or more are possible in Alcorn, Benton, Itawamba, Lee, Marshall, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo and Union counties. The heaviest accumulations will occur from midnight until 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Areas in the central portion of the state may also see some freezing precipitation, but accumulation is not expected.
Thursday, low temperatures are forecast to be in the 20s in many portions of the state.
MEMA urges residents to have a fully stocked emergency supply kit and to use extreme caution when operating alternative heat sources. Do not use a stove for heat because it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service in Memphis has issued a Winter Storm Warning for heavy snow which is in effect for the midsouth through noon Tuesday.
UPDATE: A few snow flurries and tiny bits of sleet have been spotted throughout Tupelo.
Flurries and sleet has been reported in Oxford, but with no accumulation, said Daily Journal reporter Errol Castens. The Iuka area has seen mostly rain, said Daily Journal reporter Lena Mitchell.
Bill Borghoff, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Memphis, said the Northeast Mississippi area can expect 1-3 inches of snow overnight, with a few extra inches in localized areas.
"The heaviest snow will probably be north of Tupelo, probably near the Tennessee border – the Booneville area, for example," he said. "It will mainly stick in grassy areas and elevated areas. Roads should be mainly OK. There could be some slick spots in bridges and overpasses."
The snow should clear by 6 a.m., with some sun in the afternoon Tuesday. Temperatures will stay in the 40s, with more sun and highs in the 50s later in the week, he said.
UPDATE: The Associated Press - A winter storm watch is in effect for parts of northeast Mississippi and forecasters say it's possible that several inches of snow could fall by Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service said up to 3 inches of snow could accumulate in parts of Mississippi between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, with the heaviest snow from midnight to about dawn.
The advisory area includes numerous Mississippi cities, including New Albany, Corinth and Tupelo and stretches into parts of Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee.
The National Weather Service says the possibility of the early-season snowfall is due to a low pressure system meeting with cold air. The weather service says the precipitation is to dissipate Tuesday morning as the weather system moves to the east.
UPDATE: The New Albany Christmas Parade scheduled for Monday was canceled because of possible wintry conditions.
The parade will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in downtown New Albany. For more information, call (662)534-4354.
UPDATE from NOAA.gov - This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas, the Missouri bootheel, North Mississippi, and West Tennessee.
Day one...Today and Tonight
Adeep upper level low will continue to track across the MidSouth today and tonight. Mainly rain is expected today... but rain will mix with and possibly change to snow over much of the MidSouth this evening.
A winter storm watch is in effect for parts of the Southern West Tennessee and most of Northeast Mississippi...including Tupelo and Corinth. Three inches of snow or more is possible in this area.
A winter weather advisory surrounds the watch area and includes Memphis, Jackson, Dyersburg, Jonesboro, and Oxford. One to three inches of snow is possible in this area.
Days two through seven...Tuesday through Sunday
The upper low will pull away Tuesday and precipitation will taper off throughout the morning hours.
TUPELO - Just in time for the holidays, there's a chance of snow tonight - but it probably won't stick around.
A cold front is pushing through the Northeast Mississippi area, bringing along with it a bunch of rain.
As temperatures dip to about freezing tonight, that rain could turn into a wintery mix, said Marlene Mickelson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Memphis.
"It would be kind of a mix of rain and snow and sleet. It would be from say 10 or 11 Monday night through the sunrise Tuesday morning, and then on to about 11 a.m.," she said. "So from about 11 p.m. Monday through 11 a.m. Tuesday, there's a chance of a mix."
There should be no accumulation of the white stuff, and roads should remain ice-free. Drivers should use caution as the roads will be slippery.
"The roads are going to be wet, but the roads retain heat. It's not like we've been really, really cold," she said.
The Mid-South has seen nothing but rainy, cloudy skies since Saturday, and high temperatures plummeted over the weekend from the 70s to the 50s.
Mickelson said sunny skies will return on Wednesday, with temperatures ranging from the high 40s to the low 50s.
It's unusual to see any snow in Northeast Mississippi this early in the holiday season, she said, as any snowfall usually is seen in January, February or March.
The first day of the winter season is Dec. 22.
sheena.barnett@journalinc.com
Click here for more on the weather, including radar, at NEMS360.com Weather page.