38.6 F
Memphis
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Buy now

spot_img

Winter storm tightens it bone-chilling grip

As day gave way to night on Monday, there was no give in the grip of the winter storm that has the Greater Memphis area braving single-digit temperatures and multi-inch fallen snow and ice.

Officially, a winter-storm warning still was in effect, with below zero windchills projected through Wednesday morning by the National Weather Service Forecast Office Memphis.

“Another round of significant winter weather with snow and ice accumulations accumulations likely Wednesday into Thursday,” read a National Weather Service (NWS) post Monday evening.

Tim Garfield shoveling a path in his driveway. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises)

Here is the NWS detailed forecast:

Monday night: Occasional flurries before 10 pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around -1. Wind chill values as low as -8. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -11. West northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.
Tuesday night: A 30 percent chance of snow after 1am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as 4. Calm wind becoming east northeast around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Snow, mainly after 1 pm. High near 29. Wind chill values as low as 9. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Wednesday night: Snow before 7 pm, then snow, possibly mixed with freezing rain and sleet between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m., then snow likely, possibly mixed with freezing rain after 1am. Steady temperature around 30. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New ice accumulation of around a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Thursday: Snow likely, possibly mixed with freezing rain, becoming all snow after 7 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 28. North northwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Thursday night: A 30 percent chance of snow before 7 p.m. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 10. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 28. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 15.

As the 9 p.m. approached, Memphis Light, Gas & Water reported that 99.7 percent of the utility’s customers had power, with five outages affecting 137 people.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s Electric Outage Summary Map provides general information about the outage level across Shelby County. Detailed information about specific addresses is not available for home safety and security measures. All information displayed on this site is based on reported and known outages.

For information about an specific outage, or instances where a customer has an outage and the section of the map doesn’t show any outages, call MLGW’s Electric Outage Hotline, (901) 544-6500.

MLGW closed its community offices, encouraging customers to call 544-6549, use webchat or My Account. For a list of authorized pay agents and other ways to pay, visit: mlgw.com.

Important MLGW contact information for customers:

  • Electric Outage Reporting: 544-6500
  • Gas & Water Outage Reporting and other Emergencies: 528-4465
  • Customer Care Center: 544-6549
  • Online Outage Center: mlgw.com/home/outagecenter

The inclement weather and the threat of hazardous driving conditions forced myriad other cancellations, with the Shelby County Health Department reporting that the following COVID-19 vaccination sites would be closed on Tuesday (Feb. 16).

  • Appling Inspection Station– 2355 Appling City Cove, Memphis, TN 38133
  • Pipkin Building– 940 Early Maxwell Road, Memphis, TN 38104
  • Germantown Baptist Church– 9450 Poplar Avenue, Germantown, TN 38139
  • Southwest Tennessee Community College Whitehaven Center– 1234 Finley Road, Memphis, 38116
  • CSFP Warehouse – 1020 South Bellevue 38106

All appointments scheduled for Tuesday, February 16 will be rescheduled.

The Health Department has announced that it will make decisions regarding vaccine operations on a day-to-day basis during inclement weather. A decision regarding Wednesday will be announced Tuesday  afternoon by 2 p.m.

Updated information regarding closures will be posted on the www.shelby.community website.

In Memphis and throughout the Mid-South, travel was discouraged. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency urged people to be cautious and to limit travel only to necessary trips as road conditions worsened Monday.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation said impacted roads were being treated and plowed. Shelters and warming centers were opened in Nashville, Paris, Jackson and Memphis.

Crews work to clear runways at Memphis International Airport. (Courtesy photo)

At Memphis International Airport (MEM),  crews continued to work around the clock to clear runways and taxiways. As passenger flights ended for the day, FedEx flights were continuing.

Passengers were instructed to check directly with their airlines for most up-to-date information about flight schedules, which have been volatile with winter weather affecting many areas across the U.S.

 

Related Articles

Stay Connected

21,507FansLike
2,634FollowersFollow
17,200SubscribersSubscribe
- Advertisement -spot_img

Latest Articles