Icy Travel Conditions on Tap for Much of South-Central U.S. in Coming Days

Posted: January 30, 2023 2:54 pm

Motorists can expect potentially dangerous travel conditions this week for portions of the southern Plains and through the Ohio Valley as an active storm pattern sets up. As many as three separate storms may move down from the Rocky Mountains in the following days, unleashing multiple rounds of rain, ice, and snow.

Arctic Air Will Provide Backbone for Wintry Precipitation

The moisture-rich air will pair with a mass of Arctic air to create a variety of wintry conditions. This snow, ice, and freezing rain will be possible in a large area stretching from Texas into Tennessee. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a number of winter storm warnings for parts of Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, the northern edge of Arkansas, and southern Missouri. This is in addition to a handful of winter weather advisories in place from Texas up through the nation’s heartland and into Ohio.

According to the NWS office in Fort Worth, the Dallas metroplex was dealing with multiple reports of icy bridges and overpasses on Monday morning. The metro area experienced freezing drizzle in the overnight hours Sunday, causing a messy Monday morning commute. The elevated surfaces were particularly dangerous as motorists hit the roads to start the work week.

The Gulf of Mexico has been the source of unseasonably high amounts of precipitation for the southern Plains and the Gulf Coast this winter. This pattern is expected to continue this week with the cold air filtering down from the north potentially triggering wintry conditions.

The areas most likely to experience a bout of snow and ice include the central portions of Texas, up into Oklahoma, and east across the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys. This is the same part of the country that saw snowfall in excess of one foot last week.

Timing of Winter Weather Storms

The rain began on Sunday for Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This system is continuing to move to the east on Monday. With the cold air coming in behind the system, parts of the Ohio Valley may see freezing drizzle by the end of the day.

A second storm is forecast to form late Monday in Texas with the third weather maker developing on Tuesday in the same general area. Cold temperatures in place across North Texas and the panhandle will raise the threat of freezing rain and snow for this part of the Lone Star State. This wintry precipitation is forecast to spread to the northeast on Tuesday.

Places that got off easy with the first storm of the week may not be as lucky by Tuesday. The second and third storms of the train will likely contain more moisture as well as colder temperatures. This combination could create a mess of travel disruptions on Tuesday.

Who Can Expect the Wintry Weather?

Cities in the line of fire for ice and freezing rain for the Tuesday morning commute include Dallas, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Memphis, and Nashville. This ice line may dip as far south as Austin. Expect the chance of icy roadways on parts of interstates 20, 35, and 40. This icing may also bring down trees and power lines.

You can expect the bitter cold to stick around through the middle of the week. This means that the threat of slick roads will hang on until at least Wednesday.

The continuation of moisture coming up from the Gulf will leave the threat of icy conditions in the forecast until the temperatures land in the mid 30s. At this point, any precipitation will likely fall as straight rain.

The long-range forecast is calling for dry weather by the end of the week. However, forecasters are warning that there will be additional chances of snow and ice across the south-central U.S. as winter comes to a close.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.

Recent Posts