If you are a resident of any of the Southern states, now is the time to begin preparations for another winter storm. The 16th winter storm of the season, named Winter Storm Pax, will bring large amounts of snow and ice across the southern region throughout the week. There is a definite chance of large accumulations of ice, and there may be enough in some areas to even knock out power for thousands of people, as well as littering highways and roadways with tree limbs and downed power lines. This will make travel difficult for many of the areas that will be hit the hardest. This winter storm will also hit the Middle Atlantic and Northeast with a bit of snow and ice later on in the week.
Unlike many of the other cells that have impacted the states over the past months, this system will have a broad spectrum of moist rising air instead of a defined area of low lying pressure. As this moist air rises, brutally cold air will come in from the Midwest region. The combination of these two fronts will cause a swath of very cold weather. Up until Wednesday there won’t be a low pressure area to keep track of at all.
On Tuesday, this first round of wintry weather will move from Mississippi to Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina as the day goes on. This will make for slick conditions that will only increase as we go on into Wednesday, and travel conditions may be treacherous for many residents on their way home from work. On Wednesday, another swath of moisture will override the top of a mass of colder air, making its way into the east of the Appalachian mountains. By this time we will see an area of widespread wintry conditions including freezing rain, snow, and sleet. Georgia and the Carolina’s are the areas that are expected to be the hardest hit throughout this phase of Winter Storm Pax.
These areas will likely undergo power outages, fallen trees, and downed power lines as well. Gusty winds are also to be expected, and that will only add to the damage that is to be caused by this system. From parts of Northern Georgia to central South Carolina, ice accumulations will be major with longstanding power outages and tree damage. The cities that are at the most risk are Atlanta, Augusta, Columbia, and Raleigh.
As this ice is crippling the south, a large blanket of snow of up to six or more inches will spread throughout Georgia and Virginia into Wednesday night. Some areas may even experience up to a foot of snow. The freezing rain should change into snow by Wednesday evening. This system will then move into the Middle Atlantic and Northeast by the end of this week.
If you are traveling at all, it is important to have some type of emergency kit in your car in case of a dire emergency, or if anything should go wrong. Check your local weather authority or stay tuned to The Weather Channel for any updates on Winter Storm Pax!
