Dixie Disaster: ‘Crippling’ snow and ice storm, Minnesota Clippers and mild-up

..MAJOR WINTER STORM WITH CRIPPLING EFFECTS STILL EXPECTED...

That's the headline from the Atlanta National Weather Service forecast discussion late Tuesday. It may be an understatement by Wednesday evening across part of Dixie.

The next major winter storm is hammering the south and east through Wednesday. A swath of  winter storm warnings and ice storm warnings are flying from the Deep South to along the East Coast to Maine. More than 20 states are under some kind of winter weather warning or advisory.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

670 winter warns
Image: NOAA

 Storm winds up

Click on the image below to see the surface weather maps loop from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. You can clearly see the storm winding up in Dixie and plowing northeast along the East Coast.

690 allfcsts_loop_ndfd (1)
Image: NOAA

This is a classic nor'easter set up with one big exception. The cold air, snow and ice is penetrating unusually far into the Deep South with this one. Minnesota's series of light clippers the next few days will be a nuisance by comparison the the eastern storm.

'Historical proportions'

That's the appropriately alarming phrase the NWS Atlanta is headlining for this storm. A combination of up to an inch of ice, and heavy snow has literally shut down metro Atlanta and much of Georgia.

690 atl wxs
Image: Atlanta NWS

'Enhanced' language

No doubt about it. After the debacle in Atlanta a few weeks back, the Atlanta NWS is pulling no punches with some attention-getting wording in the storm warnings.

Here are some excerpts from the Atlanta NWS forecast discussion. (My emphasis in bold.)

IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE ABOVE...WINDS WILL ALSO PROVE TO BE AN ISSUE WITH GUSTS TO 25 KTS CREATING HAVOC WITHIN THE WINTER STORM AND ICE STORM WARNINGS. TREES WILL BE EASILY SNAPPED OR TOPPLED

GIVEN THE COMBINATION OF SNOW...ICE AND WINDS. POWERLINES WILL ALSO BE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE AND SOME RESIDENTS WILL BE WITHOUT POWER FOR DAYS AND PERHAPS UP TO A WEEK.

BASED ON THE CLIMATOLOGY OF DEVELOPING CAD WEDGES AND THE EXPECTED QPF FROM WPC...HAVE GONE WITH THE MORE DIRE PREDICTIONS OF A HALF AND INCH OF ICE TO CLOSE TO AN INCH FOR EAST CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE. BIGGEST CHANGE PERHAPS IS THE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WITH NOW 4 TO 8 INCHES ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER WITH 10 INCHES TO PERHAPS A FOOT POSSIBLE IN THE NE MOUNTAINS. WE ALSO INCREASE THE TOTALS FOR THE NORTH ATLANTA METRO WITH AN INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS COMBINATION OF OVER A QUARTER INCH OF ICE AND 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW. THIS WAS USING A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH UTILIZING GIVEN WPC QPF.

Here's the equally alarming Civil Emergency Message from the Columbia, South Carolina NWS.

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

CIVIL EMERGENCY MESSAGE

SOUTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA

RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC

1054 PM EST TUE FEB 11 2014

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA.

A STATE OF EMERGENCY IS IN EFFECT-THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE WINTER WEATHER ALERTS FOR MOST OF SOUTH CAROLINA, PREDICTING SNOW, SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN. POWER OUTAGES AND DANGEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY. MONITOR LOCAL MEDIA FOR CHANGES IN CONDITIONS. SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION URGE MOTORISTS TO STAY OFF THE ROADWAYS. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY CALL *HP OR 911. FOR THE STATUS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICES STATEWIDE VISIT SCEMD.ORG.

Storm pushes east

This storm will wind up the East Coast this week. The swath of heavy snow with this one will run from the Deep South all the way to New England.

690 snow
Image: wxcaster.com

The Baltimore-Washington, D.C., NWS has picked up on the heavy snow potential there, where more than a foot could fall.

690 DC StormTotalSnowRange
Image: Baltimore-Washington D.C. NWS

Here's a neat experimental product that lays out the highest probabilities for snowfall totals in and around Washington, D.C.

690 DC2 totals
Image: Baltimore-Washington DC NWS

Hurricane Hunters flying into storm

690 HH winter
Image: US Air Force

NOAA is getting some additional data from this storm thanks to the Hurricane Hunters who are flying into the winter storm. More details from WTBW TV.

"Winter storms, on average, kill more Americans each year than hurricanes do," said Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, the squadron's Chief Meteorologist. "On average, an inch of snow removal for a city like New York City, can cost one million dollars. If the data we collect provides the national weather service with a more accurate prediction, cities can be better prepared lives and property can be saved," said Talbot.

Bottom line: This is a major winter storm that will have hurricane-like effects when it comes to power outages in the South. Power may be out for days in some areas due to ice accumulations and snapped trees and downed power lines.

A widespread 5 to 10 inches of snow will fall with some 1 foot-plus snowfall totals. The city of Atlanta and many southeastern states have taken major preparations, closing schools and encouraging business to shut down. This will likely be a major news story for the next few days.

[image]

Minnesota mild

By comparison, our Minnesota weather is changing for the better. A series of minor clipper brings a few shots of light snow the next few days. Expect about an inch overnight into early Wednesday morning. Another brief shot rolls through early Thursday, and again Saturday.

690 wxs
Image: Twin Cities NWS

The bigger news? Milder temps are on the way. Temps should top out in the lower 30s Thursday, before a speed bump brings teens Friday and 20s for the weekend. The longer range forecast still calls for an extended thaw next week. A string of 30s and possibly 40 degrees?

About 90 percent of my listeners are saying "bring it on" at this point in winter.

690 kky
Image: Weatherspark

Stay tuned!