Groundhog Day was last Saturday and Punxatawny Phil made an accurate prediction — for the city of Memphis, anyway.
The unseasonably warm weather that Memphis has seen the past week has quickly come to an end. Area forecasters have said one inch of snow is expected by Wednesday.
“We have been above average temperatures lately,” said Mark Walden, meteorologist for ABC/UPN news. “The high for Wednesday is supposed to be in the thirties. The average for this time of year is somewhere in the fifties.”
According to the National Weather Service, Memphis has not seen snow since Dec. 31, 2000. The winter weather we will be receiving is blamed on a developing storm system in the Gulf of Mexico that is moving east along the Gulf Coast, according to the NWS.
“The trough in the west and the ridge in the east is what has made for a milder winter,” said Walden. “Now a trough has developed in the central and east areas and moisture has developed from the subtropic jetstream.”
Memphis’ developing winter weather is not expected to be a dramatic one.
“The weather is going to continue to be up and down for a good while,” said Walden. “There may be a few more changes this winter.”
The last time the Mid-South was in any kind of danger was in February of 1994, when $1 billion worth of damages were sustained and nine deaths occurred.
Flights coming in and out of the Memphis International Airport are at slight risk of being canceled.
This sudden change of weather conditions is threatening not only the Mid- South, but areas further east.
In Atlanta, Delta Airlines, which is the largest airline in Hartsfield Atlanta Airport, plans on canceling some flights because of expected sleet and ice.
Memphis is at no risk for severe weather meteorologists said, although there are a few precautions people can take in case the unexpected occurs.
Always have a first-aid kit available. Flashlights, batteries, battery-powered radios, blankets, food and water should also be easily accessible.
