February 12, 2014
Agency
Ice Storm Warning
Ice Storm Warning remains in effect until 1 pm EST Thursday.
- Locations: along and either side of a line from Franklin to Newnan and Peachtree City to Warrenton.
- Hazard types: mainly freezing rain with some snow and sleet.
- Accumulations: southern sections of the Ice Storm Warning will be on the edge of warning criteria with Warner Robins and Macon seeing anywhere from a tenth to a quarter inch of ice. However, further north and especially along the Interstate 20 corridor, more crippling effects are likely with three quarters to over an inch of ice possible.
- Timing: snow, sleet and freezing rain will begin this morning. This will gradually changeover to all freezing rain today. The activity should end as light snow late tonight into Thursday morning.
- 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.
- Winds: north 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. These wind speeds in conjunction with the ice will exacerbate the potential for falling trees.
- Temperatures: in the lower 30s Today dropping to the Upper 20s tonight.
…ICE STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THURSDAY…
* LOCATIONS…ALONG AND EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM FRANKLIN TO
NEWNAN AND PEACHTREE CITY TO WARRENTON.
* HAZARD TYPES…MAINLY FREEZING RAIN WITH SOME SNOW AND SLEET.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE ICE STORM WARNING WILL
BE ON THE EDGE OF WARNING CRITERIA WITH WARNER ROBINS AND MACON
SEEING ANYWHERE FROM A TENTH TO A QUARTER INCH OF ICE.
HOWEVER…FURTHER NORTH AND ESPECIALLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 20
CORRIDOR…MORE CRIPPLING EFFECTS ARE LIKELY WITH THREE
QUARTERS TO OVER AN INCH OF ICE POSSIBLE.
* TIMING…SNOW…SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BEGIN THIS MORNING.
THIS WILL GRADUALLY CHANGEOVER TO ALL FREEZING RAIN TODAY. THE
ACTIVITY SHOULD END AS LIGHT SNOW LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY
MORNING.
* 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.
* WINDS…NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. THESE
WIND SPEEDS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ICE WILL EXACERBATE THE
POTENTIAL FOR FALLING TREES.
* TEMPERATURES…IN THE LOWER 30S TODAY DROPPING TO THE UPPER 20S
TONIGHT.
Recommended actions
A Winter Storm Warning for ice means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Significant amounts ice are forecast that will make travel dangerous and impossible in most cases. Only Travel in an emergency. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food. And Water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. With the forecast ice amounts, widespread power outages are possible especially in the Wednesday to Wednesday night time period.
A layer of ice, combined with windy conditions, is expected to break tree limbs and power lines. Stay Indoors and away from these hazards, and prepare for Power Outages By having flashlights and emergency supplies ready.
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ICE MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS ICE ARE
FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS AND IMPOSSIBLE IN MOST
CASES. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN
EXTRA FLASHLIGHT…FOOD… AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF
AN EMERGENCY. WITH THE FORECAST ICE AMOUNTS…WIDESPREAD POWER
OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY IN THE WEDNESDAY TO WEDNESDAY
NIGHT TIME PERIOD.
A LAYER OF ICE…COMBINED WITH WINDY CONDITIONS…IS EXPECTED TO
BREAK TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES. STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM
THESE HAZARDS…AND PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES BY HAVING
FLASHLIGHTS AND EMERGENCY SUPPLIES READY.
Excerpted from ready.govBefore:
- Rock salt or more environmentally safe products to melt ice on walkways. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency for a complete list of recommended products.
- Sand to improve traction.
- Snow shovels and other snow removal equipment.
- Sufficient heating fuel. You may become isolated in your home and regular fuel sources may be cut off. Store a good supply of dry, seasoned wood for your fireplace or wood-burning stove.
- Adequate clothing and blankets to keep you warm.
Excerpted from ready.govDuring:
What is an Ice Storm Warning?
Ice accumulation meeting or exceeding locally defined warning criteria (typical value is 1/4 inch or more Source: nws.noaa.gov