Friday, December 10, 2010

NWS statement concerning Arctic cold blast Saturday night through Monday

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
813 PM CST FRI DEC 10 2010

...BLAST OF WINTER EXPECTED TO BEGIN SATURDAY NIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL SEND AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT THROUGH THE MIDSOUTH SATURDAY EVENING. RAIN WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT ACROSS EASTERN ARKANSAS AND THEN SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE MIDSOUTH FOR SATURDAY. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY ACCOMPANY THE RAIN... BUT DUE TO LIMITED INSTABILITY NO SEVERE WEATHER IS IN THE FORECAST.

STRONG ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD INTO THE PLAINS BEHIND THE SYSTEM... WHICH WILL AID IN SENDING VERY COLD AIR SOUTH. A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL CAUSE WINDS TO STRENGTHEN SATURDAY NIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 25 MPH AND WIND GUSTS APPROACHING 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME FRAME. WIND ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED.

HIGHS SUNDAY ARE LIKELY TO ONLY TOP OFF AROUND FREEZING ALONG AND NORTH OF I-40 WITH MID OR UPPER 30S ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI. COLDER AIR WILL CONTINUE SPILLING SOUTHEAST INTO THE MIDSOUTH SUNDAY NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING INTO THE LOW TEENS NORTH OF I-40 AND MID TEENS ELSEWHERE. THESE TEMPERATURES IN COMBINATION WITH THE GUSTY WINDS SHOULD SEND WIND CHILL READINGS BETWEEN 5 ABOVE ZERO AND 7 BELOW ZERO BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING. WIND CHILL ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR PARTS OF THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT. THE COLD TEMPERATURES WILL PERSIST MONDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 20S TO MID 30S.

IN ADDITION TO THE COLD... MOISTURE WRAPPING AROUND THE LOW COULD ALLOW FOR SOME SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS WEST TENNESSEE... NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. LITTLE... IF ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

RESIDENTS OF THE MIDSOUTH SHOULD PREPARE FOR A BIG SHIFT TOWARD VERY COLD WEATHER LATER THIS WEEKEND. CONSIDER WINTERIZING YOUR VEHICLE... LETTING FAUCETS DRIP SLIGHTLY TO AVOID BURSTING PIPES... AND BRINGING OUTDOOR PETS INSIDE FROM THE COLD.

$$

BORGHOFF/PWB

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