National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

January 28, 2014 Snow Event

 

Event Summary

Temperatures on January 27th were in the upper 40s in the northwest Delta to mid 50s to low 60s in southeastern Mississippi. However, a large upper trough was diving southeast, bringing an arctic front and 1032mb surface high pressure into the ArkLaMiss. Temperatures dropped rapidly in the evening as very dry air filtered into the region, with dewpoints falling into the single digits. The large spread between the surface and dewpoint temperature would be an important player in the winter weather event on January 28th. As the upper trough deepened and strong upper level winds began to move over the region, an upper level low center over northern Mexico to the southwestern United States began to merge with the strong upper level system and moistened the mid-levels of the atmosphere across the region. Temperatures were only in the low to mid 20s throughout the ArkLaMiss as the precipitation began to fall. Areas along and north of a line from around Natchez to just south of Meridian began to observe precipitation that initially fell as sleet but gradually transitioned to snow in a few hours as temperatures cooled in the mid-level s of the atmosphere and the lower atmosphere saturated from falling precipitation and evaporative cooling. Due to a warm layer in the mid-levels of the atmosphere, mixed precipitation occurred from south of a line near Natchez to south of Meridian. The deep melting layer caused precipitation to remain as sleet throughout most of the afternoon south of that line. These areas had a prolonged period of sleet before finally transitioning over to snow in the mid to late afternoon hours. All precipitation moved out of the region by around 6-8pm on the evening of January 28th.

In total, areas north of the mixed precipitation line had more significant snowfall. This was a heavy confined band of precipitation that dropped off quickly closer to the Jackson metro with areas in southeastern Rankin County having the highest snowfall totals. This area had 2-4 inches of snowfall, with maximum of 4 inches in the Puckett area. Snow tapered off quickly near the Interstate 20 corridor with only near ½ inch to 1 inch snowfall, with some locally higher amounts. Snow accumulation extended into north central Mississippi up to the Highway 82 corridor near Indianola eastward towards Macon but only a light dusting occurred in these regions. South of the mixed precipitation line, significant icing and sleet occurred in the region with upwards of 1-3 inches of sleet and snow. The significant icing occurred into far southern Marion, Lamar and Forrest counties.

Significant icing occurred on the roadways and led to multiple accidents and issues with travel. There was an extended hard freeze, with temperatures dropping into the low teens and single digits regionwide on the morning of January 29th. This kept lingering snow and sleet accumulations frozen and made travel hazardous, especially along and south of the Interstate 20 corridor. Temperatures only climbed into the low to mid 30s on January 29th before falling back into the teens overnight of January 30th. The region finally warmed above freezing on the mid to late morning hours of January 30th.

Click here for snowfall pictures from around the ArkLaMiss!

 

Accumulation Map

 

Snow Accumulation Map

Snowfall Totals

 

State Location Source Amount Comments
MS Puckett 2 NW LSR 4.0  
LA Jonesville Locks COOP 4.0  
LA Ridgecrest LSR 3.0  
MS Bude LSR 3.0 mixture of snow and sleet
MS Cato (Rankin) LSR 3.0  
MS Causeyville LSR 3.0  
MS Ellisville 8 W LSR 3.0 snow and sleet mixture
MS Enterprise LSR 3.0 2" of snow and 1" of sleet
MS Hazlehurst LSR 3.0  
MS Hazlehurst 8.3 WSW CoCoRaHS 3.0  
MS Magee LSR 3.0 2" of snow and 1" of sleet
MS Meridian 6 SSE LSR 3.0  
MS N Clarke County LSR 3.0  
MS Prentiss COOP 3.0 mostly sleet, some snow
MS Star COOP 3.0  
MS Taylorsville LSR 3.0  
MS Taylorsville 7 N LSR 3.0  
MS Wesson LSR 3.0  
MS Zero (Lauderdale) LSR 3.0  
MS Louin/Montrose LSR 2.8  
MS Raleigh 6 N COOP 2.8  
MS Harmony (Clarke) LSR 2.6  
MS Homewood LSR 2.6  
MS Chunky LSR 2.5  
MS Clarkdale (Lauderdale) LSR 2.5  
MS D'Lo 2 SW COOP 2.5  
MS Morton LSR 2.5  
MS Port Gibson LSR 2.5  
MS Russell (Lauderdale) LSR 2.5  
MS Seminary 4 N LSR 2.5 1.5" of sleet and 1" of snow
MS Stonewall LSR 2.5  
MS Terry 6 W LSR 2.5 mostly snow/some sleet
LA St. Joseph LSR 2.5  
MS Meadville LSR 2.4  
MS Kracker Station (Scott) LSR 2.4  
MS Collins LSR 2.3  
MS Union Church COOP 2.3  
LA Ferriday CoCoRaHS 2.2  
MS South Newton County LSR 2.2  
MS Lorman LSR 2.1  
LA Red River Lock #1 (Catahoula) COOP 2.0  
MS Crystal Springs LSR 2.0  
MS D'Lo COOP 2.0  
MS Fayette LSR 2.0 mostly snow/some sleet
MS Florence LSR 2.0  
MS Marion LSR 2.0  
MS Meridian LSR 2.0  
MS Morgantown (Marion) LSR 2.0 mixture of snow and sleet
MS Natchez 3 ENE LSR 2.0  
MS Pearson (Rankin) LSR 2.0  
MS Pineville (Smith) LSR 2.0  
MS Raleigh CoCoRaHS 2.0  
MS Raleigh LSR 2.0  
MS Union 2.6 SSW CoCoRaHS 2.0  
MS White Oak 3 NE (Smith) LSR 2.0  
MS Larto LSR 2.0  
LA Wisner LSR 1.8  
MS Collinsville 7 SE COOP 1.8  
MS Meridian 2.9 SW COOP 1.8  
MS Newton COOP 1.8  
MS Pelahatchie LSR 1.8  
MS Port Gibson COOP 1.7  
MS Mendenhall 4.4 S LSR 1.6  
MS Pearl 5 SSE LSR 1.6  
LA Sicily Island LSR 1.5  
MS Crandall 8 N (Clarke) COOP 1.5  
MS Decatur LSR 1.5  
LA Okatibbee Reservoir (Lauderdale) LSR 1.5  
MS Pleasant Hill (Copiah) LSR 1.5 mostly snow/some sleet
MS Purvis 4 WNW LSR 1.5 sleet
MS Union 1.6 W LSR 1.5  
MS Yokena 6 S LSR 1.5  
MS Brandon LSR 1.3  
MS Brandon 4 SW LSR 1.3  
MS Lauderdale LSR 1.3  
MS Meridian NAS LSR 1.3  
MS Meridian 3.2 NW LSR 1.3  
MS NE Scott County LSR 1.3  
MS Richland COOP 1.3 Began as sleet, then gradually changed to snow
MS Bassfield LSR 1.0 sleet
MS Brandon 1 N LSR 1.0  
MS Brandon 1.9 NE CoCoRaHS 1.0  
MS Brookhaven LSR 1.0 snow/sleet
MS Conehatta LSR 1.0  
MS Ellisville LSR 1.0 mostly sleet
MS Hattiesburg 2 S LSR 1.0 sleet/ice
MS Hattiesburg 8.2 WSW CoCoRaHS 1.0  
MS Laurel LSR 1.0 mostly sleet
MS Mize COOP 1.0  
MS Pearl 2 W CoCoRaHS 1.0  
MS Purvis COOP 1.0 sleet accumulation
MS Seminary LSR 1.0 mostly sleet/some snow
MS Hattiesburg COOP 1.0 sleet and ice
MS Hattiesburg 1.2 WSW CoCoRaHS 1.0  
MS Southern Miss campus LSR 1.0 sleet and ice
MS Topton (Lauderdale) COOP 1.0  
MS Union LSR 1.0  
MS Walnut Grove COOP 1.0  
MS Brandon 2.6 NNE CoCoRaHS 0.8  
MS Hattiesburg LSR 0.8 sleet and ice
MS Jackson Airport NWS 0.8  
MS NW Scott County LSR 0.8  
MS Sumrall COOP 0.8 sleet
LA Winnsboro 5 SSE COOP 0.7  
MS S Warren County LSR 0.7  
MS Clinton 2 S LSR 0.6  
MS Vicksburg 12.3 S CoCoRaHS 0.6  
LA Winnsboro LSR 0.5  
MS Brandon 4.7 NNE CoCoRaHS 0.5  
MS Brookhaven COOP 0.5 sleet
MS Flowood 2.9 NE CoCoRaHS 0.5  
MS Jackson 6 NE CoCoRaHS 0.5  
MS Oakley (Hinds) COOP 0.5  
MS Raymond 2.7 E CoCoRaHS 0.5  
MS Ridgeland LSR 0.5  
MS Scooba CoCoRaHS 0.5  
MS Columbia LSR 0.4 sleet
MS De Kalb 3.3 W CoCoRaHS 0.4  
MS Philadelphia COOP 0.4  
MS Ridgeland 1.8 W CoCoRaHS 0.4  
MS Carthage COOP 0.3  
MS Madison 1.6 E CoCoRaHS 0.3  
MS Ridgeland 1.1 S CoCoRaHS 0.3  
MS Scooba 5 NE LSR 0.3  
MS Indianola LSR 0.1 dusting
MS Macon COOP 0.1 light dusting
MS Madison 5.7 WNW CoCoRaHS 0.1  
MS West 5 SE LSR 0.1  
MS Canton 4 N COOP T  
MS Cleveland COOP T snow showers
MS Flora 2.3 S CoCoRaHS T  
MS Kosciusko COOP T snow flurries
MS Noxapater 3.3 WSW CoCoRaHS T  
MS Starkville COOP T  
MS Vaiden COOP T