WINTER WEATHER WARNING: Very rare ice and snow accumulation possible in Destin today By Matt Algarin Published: Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at 11:00 AM. With a winter storm pushing its way south, meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Mobile say conditions in Destin could start to deteriorate about lunch time. Ice will start accumulating this afternoon, said Meteorologist Brian Daly. Its coming from Mississippi. Its on its way like a freight train. Forecasters have doubled their estimates of how much ice is expected to accumulate by Tuesday night. By mid-morning, forecasters were predicting a total ice accumulation up to .5 to .6 inches overnight across coastal Ala., and into the western Florida Panhandle. A dusting of snow is expected to fall on top of the ice after midnight, making for a treacherous situation on area roads. Ice could also accumulate on power lines. In a press release, Gulf Power said it stood ready to respond in the event of outages. The Winter Weather Warning set off a chain reaction of closures and cancellations across the coast. Students at Okaloosa and Walton County enjoyed quasi-snow days on Tuesday and Wednesday and Northwest Florida Regional Airport grounded flights before Tuesday afternoon. _______ RELATED STORIES Emergency officials warn bridge travelers to take caution VPS to close at noon, Destin Airport remains open WINTER WEATHER WARNING: Schools out as Destin, region prepare (UPDATE) SNOW DAY? Cancellations and closures due to winter weather Gulf Power employees ready for extreme weather Waste Management suspends garbage collection Daly said if temperatures are ideal in Destin, snowfall could start to be seen tonight, lasting for about 12 hours or so. Accumulation could total between an inch to an inch and a half, but that would be very rare for this area. Snowfall from the storm, which was dubbed Leon by the Weather Channel, is mostly expected in northern areas of the county, such as Crestview. Okaloosa County officials are expecting rain before 1 p.m., followed by freezing rain and temperatures near 36 degrees. Wind gusts up to 25 miles per hour are also expected. Shifting from day to night, more freezing rain and snow is expected, with the possibility of 1-2 inches of snow accumulation. Snow is likely before 7 a.m. Wednesday as the system runs its course. There is currently a winter storm warning and wind chill advisory in effect until Wednesday morning. The winter storm warning means that significant amounts of snow, sleet and ice are expected, as well as strong winds. The wind chill advisory means that the temperatures could dip below 10 degrees, which could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken. Given the potential of ice buildup, road conditions are expected to deteriorate and travel will become difficult as roads and bridges could become icy. Public works crews in Destin will be prepared to salt sidewalks and roadways as needed, Public Information Manager Doug Rainer told The Log. He said residents are encouraged to turn off their sprinklers and stay off the roadways if possible. City facilities, such as the Destin Library and the Community Center, will close today at 3 p.m., be closed all day Wednesday, then reopen for business Thursday. FROM THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS Snow days? That’s a new one for local schools Will it really snow? Some hopeful, others skeptical Winter weather updates The Weather Advisory from the National Weather Service A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for all of Southeast Mississippi, southwest and south central Alabama, and the western Florida panhandle from 6 am CST this morning to 6 am Wednesday. A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect for all of Southeast Mississippi, southwest and south central Alabama, and the western Florida panhandle from 2 am CST to 9 am CST Wednesday. Breezy Northerly winds and very cold temperatures will spread into the area through Wednesday morning while a series of strong upper level disturbances move across the region. A wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet will affect much of the area north of beach areas through the early afternoon, transitioning to snow far inland. The wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet over the coastal counties spread southward to include beach areas by mid to late afternoon while snow prevails over inland areas. The precipitation will taper off west of I-65 during the early evening hours and be mostly in the form of light snow. East of I-65, light snow over inland areas and a mix of freezing rain and sleet closer to the coast will taper off during the late evening hours. Significant ice, sleet, and snow accumulations will occur before precipitation comes to an end tonight. Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 6 am CST Wednesday. Wind Chill Advisory in effect from 2 am to 9 am CST Wednesday. The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a Wind Chill Advisory, which is in effect from 2 am to 9 am CST Wednesday. Timing: A wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet will affect much of the area north of beach areas through the early afternoon, transitioning to snow far inland. The wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet over the coastal counties spread southward to include beach areas by mid to late afternoon while snow prevails over inland areas. The precipitation will taper off west of I-65 during the early evening hours and be mostly in the form of light snow. East of I-65, light snow over inland areas and a mix of freezing rain and sleet closer to the coast will taper off during the late evening hours. Significant ice, sleet. And snow accumulations will occur before precipitation comes to an end tonight. Impacts: storm total ice accumulations around a tenth of an inch to just less than a half inch are expected, mainly across locations to the south of the U. S. Highway 84 corridor, with the higher ice accumulations over the coastal counties. Total sleet and snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are expected. Road conditions are expected to deteriorate through the day into tonight, and travel will become difficult as roads and bridges become icy. Power outages may be possible, especially in areas where significant ice accumulation occurs. Wind Chill values: dropping to 3 to 10 after midnight through early Wednesday morning.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 02:37:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015