February 18, 2006 Winter Storm...West TN

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS
TN
938 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2006...
ANOTHER WINTER STORM HITS THE
MIDSOUTH... JUST OVER ONE WEEK REMOVED FROM A SIGNIFICANT SNOWSTORM...THE
MIDSOUTH WAS ON THE RECEIVING END OF YET ANOTHER WINTER STORM DURING THE MORNING
AND AFTERNOON HOURS OF SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18TH 2006. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
MOVED QUICKLY OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES AND INTO THE MIDSOUTH VERY
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. PRECIPITATION DEVELOPED OVER THE MIDSOUTH AHEAD OF THE
DISTURBANCE. AT THE SAME TIME...VERY COLD AIR WAS ENTRENCHED OVER THE MIDSOUTH
DUE TO ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE LOCATED OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THE PRECIPITATION
FELL INTO THIS COLD AIR AND AFFECTED THE MIDSOUTH WITH A MIXTURE OF FREEZING
RAIN...SLEET...AND SNOW. THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE WINTER WEATHER
ACCUMULATIONS FROM ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH REGION. THESE REPORTS WERE RELAYED BY THE
LOCAL MEDIA...EMERGENCY MANAGERS...LAW ENFORCEMENT...TRAINED SPOTTERS...AND
OBSERVERS FROM THE COOPERATIVE OBSERVER NETWORK. WE THANK EVERYBODY WHO TOOK THE
TIME TO RELAY THEIR REPORTS....

ACCUMULATION SUMMARY...TWO TO THREE INCHES OF
SNOW AND SLEET...ALONG WITH ONE EIGHTH INCH OFFREEZING RAIN OCCURRED IN EXTREME
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...AND NORTHWEST TENNESSEE. AREAS
AFFECTED WERE IN A CORRIDOR ALONG AND NORTH OF A WALNUT RIDGE ARKANSAS TO
DRESDEN TENNESSEE LINE. TO THE SOUTH OF THIS AREA...ONE INCH OF SLEET AND SNOW
WAS REPORTED. FREEZING RAIN ALSO ACCUMULATED UP TO ONE QUARTER INCH IN SOME
LOCATIONS. THESE AMOUNTS OCCURRED OVER THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR AND AS FAR
SOUTH AS NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI. THIS INCLUDED THE MEMPHIS METROPOLITAN AREA.
LOCATIONS FROM PHILLIPS COUNTY ARKANSAS EASTWARD TO LAFAYETTE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI
EXPERIENCED AROUND ONE QUARTER INCH OF FREEZING RAIN AND ONE HALF INCH OF SLEET.
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...INCLUDING AREAS FROM HOLLY SPRINGS TO IUKA SOUTHWARD TO
TUPELO...ACCUMULATED ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF SLEET. ONE QUARTER INCH OF FREEZING
RAIN WAS ALSO REPORTED WITH ISOLATED CITIES RECEIVING ONE HALF INCH. IT SHOULD
BE NOTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS IN MISSISSIPPI REPORTED NUMEROUS
VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT OF THE ICY ROADS. MCNAIRY AND HARDIN COUNTIES IN
TENNESSEE RECEIVED ONE HALF INCH OF SLEET AND ONE EIGHTH TO ONE QUARTER INCH OF
ICE. MEANWHILE...DECATUR COUNTY TENNESSEE REPORTED UP TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW WITH
LIGHT AMOUNTS OF ICING.

This Weather Review was possible because of the National Weather Service in Memphis, TN.