I-20 Ice Storm

The winter storm that is affecting much of the country is getting some rarely used descriptions, such as historic and crippling and life threatening, especially in areas east of Alabama.

The system will have some of its greatest impacts right along I-20, with significant ice accumulations expected tonight through Wednesday from possibly eastern Alabama through the Atlanta area eastward through Augusta and Columbia.

Over an INCH of ice accumulation is expected around Augusta, GA to Orangeburg, SC.

Over one half inch is expected for places like Athens, GA and Columbia, SC, as well as Sumter, SC and Florence SC. This area will experience widespread power outages.

Atlanta is expecting between 0.25″ and 0.50″ inches of accumulating ice.

Remember, anything over 1/4 inch will cause power outages, and thorwing in winds gusting to 25 mph at times, major power outages are expected.

FROM THE NWS ATLANTA ICE STORM WARNING MESSAGE:
IMPACTS…THESE HIGH ICE ACCUMULATION AMOUNTS WILL MAKE TRAVEL
IMPOSSIBLE. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A CATASTROPHIC EVENT.
WIDESPREAD AND EXTENDED POWER OUTAGES ARE LIKELY AS ICE
ACCUMULATES ON TREES AND POWERLINES AND BRINGS THEM DOWN.
PLEASE PREPARE TO BE WITHOUT POWER IN SOME LOCATIONS FOR DAYS
AND PERHAPS AS LONG AS A WEEK. ONCE THE ICE BEGINS TO MELT ON
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY…FALLING ICE FROM BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES
WILL CREATE AN ADDITIONAL HAZARD.

THEIR ACCUMULATION GRAPHIC:

NOTES
…An ice storm warning is issued instead of a winter storm warning when the impacts from the storm are expected to be more of the freezing rain variety that from snow.
…Recon flights are actually being flown over the Gulf of Mexico in order to gather additional data for model input. How cool is that?

Category: Headlines, Winter Weather