Winter storm watch issued for area

February 3, 2011

By PAUL SIMS
sdnnews@bellsouth.net

The Golden Triangle region may awake Friday morning to a coating of frozen precipitation, possibly impacting travel, forecasters said Wednesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch in effect this evening through Friday morning for Oktibbeha and surrounding counties.
The watch text says forecasters believe the event’s timing will run between 6 p.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday.
They expect a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain to develop Thursday evening, then change over to freezing rain and sleet during the night, the watch reads.
The culprit will be a low pressure system developing over the Gulf of Mexico.
The possibility exists of up to one-half-inch of ice and sleet – plus a light collection of snow.
Power issues may develop in areas with the highest ice accumulations as ice gathers on power lines and trees, NWS officials said. “Travel will likely become hazardous,” the watch text reads.
Forecasters expect warmer air to move in from the east during the morning Friday, with conditions improving between 3 and 9 a.m. and temperatures reaching a point just above freezing by 9 a.m. Friday.
NWS meterologists asked the public to continue to keep an eye on additional forecasts.