Early Evening Update--7:25 pm Report

A line of strong to severe thunderstorms extended from Northern Indiana down across Southern Illinois into Southeast Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. Considerable lightning.

The thunderstorms were along a strong cold front that continues to push toward the southeast.

At 7 pm, the front was near Little Rock. While it was a balmy 69 degrees in Little Rock at 7 it was 33 in Northwest Arkansas at Fayetteville with a wind chill of 23.

In Fayetteville this afternoon there was a record high of 76. So their temperature has plunged 43 degrees already.

A Tornado Watch continues until very late tonight (1 am, CST) for parts of West Kentucky, Extreme West Tennessee, East Arkansas and Extreme Northwest Mississippi including the Memphis area.

Ironically, a Winter Storm Watch is in effect for some of those same areas.

There were no showers in Alabama as of 7:25 pm.
Posted by CRAIG  
on February 16, 2006, 7:47 pm
What a strong front! At 6:15 tonight, it was 84 degrees here... now it's 59 and falling fast! That's 25 degrees in about an hour and a half. We're under a winter storm watch for tomorrow night thru saturday. I'm in Fort Worth, TX

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Posted by Susan  
on February 16, 2006, 7:53 pm
This thin but strong line looks ominous. I guess it's already come through for Craig in Ft Worth - Good luck Craig! winter storm watch? wow
What are we expecting in Bham area?

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Posted by  
on February 16, 2006, 9:19 pm
I have a suggestion why don't you record the storm alert shows and put them on the internet for the folks who would love to see them but cannot attend the on in there area also what is the status on the supposed ice storm for this wekend? thanks for your time i love this site and the 3340 weather team

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Posted by  
on February 16, 2006, 10:01 pm
From the NWS Jackson office:

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
949 PM CST THU FEB 16 2006

...ANOTHER POTENT COLD AIR MASS ENTERING THE DEEP SOUTH COULD LEAD TO
ICING PROBLEMS STARTING LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING...

.A MUCH COLDER AIR MASS WAS ABOUT TO PLUNGE INTO THE LOWER
MISSISSIPPI THIS EVENING. A NARROW BAND OF SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD ACCOMPANY THE FRONT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY
MORNING. TEMPERATURES WILL BE STEADY OR FALLING ON FRIDAY ACROSS
NORTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS AND NORTHEAST
LOUISIANA. READINGS SHOULD BE IN THE UPPER 30S BY SUNSET FRIDAY
ACROSS THE DELTA REGION AND THEN FALLING FRIDAY NIGHT NEAR OR BELOW
FREEZING AROUND MIDNIGHT.

ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-MSZ018-019-025>030-034>036-040-041-171200-
/O.NEW.KJAN.WS.A.0001.060218T0600Z-060218T1800Z/
ASHLEY-CHICOT-MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-BOLIVAR-
SUNFLOWER-LEFLORE-GRENADA-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-WEBSTER-CLAY-
WASHINGTON-HUMPHREYS-HOLMES-ISSAQUENA-SHARKEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROSSETT...NORTH CROSSETT...HAMBURG...
WEST CROSSETT...DERMOTT...LAKE VILLAGE...EUDORA...BASTROP...
OAK GROVE...EPPS...LAKE PROVIDENCE...CLEVELAND...INDIANOLA...
RULEVILLE...GREENWOOD...GRENADA...VAIDEN...NORTH CARROLLTON...
CARROLLTON...WINONA...EUPORA...MABEN...MATHISTON...WEST POINT...
GREENVILLE...BELZONI...ISOLA...DURANT...TCHULA...LEXINGTON...
PICKENS...GOODMAN...MAYERSVILLE...ROLLING FORK...ANGUILLA
949 PM CST THU FEB 16 2006

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY
MORNING FOR LOCATIONS GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM WINONA TO
ROLLING FORK MISSISSIPPI TO BASTROP LOUISIANA.

COLD AIR WILL BE DRIVING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY ON FRIDAY SETTING THE STAGE FOR A WINTER MIX OF FREEZING
RAIN...SLEET AND RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BECOME COLD
ENOUGH BY MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE DELTA REGION FOR FREEZING
RAIN TO MIX WITH RAIN...THEN CHANGING TO ALL FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET
BY SUNRISE SATURDAY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF AT LEAST ONE QUARTER INCH
WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY SATURDAY...ESPECIALLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES
INITIALLY AND THEN ON ROADWAYS. THE WINTER PRECIPITATION SHOULD
GRADUALLY TAPER OFF DURING THE MIDDAY HOURS SATURDAY AS AN UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE PASSES THE AREA.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. TREES AND POWER
LINES COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED IF THE ICING BUILDS EVEN MORE THAN
EXPECTED. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS ON FRIDAY.


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