Upper Cumberland Weather

01/16/2024

Many people may not realize this, but up until a few years ago, Upper Cumberland Weather existed entirely as a volunteer-only service with no financial-backing other than the support of a small handful of awesome folks on our Patreon. We operated that way for almost an entire decade, dating back to when I only covered my home of Smith County! Even to this day, this still isn’t my full-time job despite the intense personal commitment it takes to run this platform, especially during times of severe and winter weather. It’s expensive to operate with monthly recurring costs on top of the numerous technology purchases I’ll make throughout the year just to keep up with our growth — never mind the personal time taken away from my family. We have the support of few incredible businesses who sponsor the Upper Cumberland Weather Channel, as well as monthly supporters on both our Patreon and through Facebook’s own ‘subscription’ service — all which help pay the bills and keep us operational. But the need for growth is apparent.

Yesterday, we hit a milestone that’s too big to ignore. Our Facebook following has climbed to the 45,000 follower mark — now the most-followed local media source on Facebook in the entire Upper Cumberland region. It’s estimated there is a combined population of roughly 360,000 people across our 14-county viewing area. We’re now reaching at least 45,000 of you, and when you break it down further by people who aren’t on Facebook, etc., I would estimate we’re very likely reaching a near majority of households in this region.

It’s clear to me you all see value in this service I’m providing here, and that only fuels my drive to make it better. It’s my goal to make Upper Cumberland Weather my personal full-time investment with a business model large enough to allow us to have a proper facility to operate of, a full-time staff of meteorologists, first-class weather broadcasting software, and a host of new products that will completely transform the way we do things, like a smartphone app so many of you have requested over the years. All of this costs money we simply don’t have. But we can and WILL get there! Just look at our friends over at Tennessee Valley Weather!

I estimate that if we could quadruple our number of local business sponsors, I would be in a position to go full time with this — at which point (and to quote my friend Landon Hampton who runs ‘Weather or Not Bowling Green’), even the sky won’t be the limit — we’ve put man on the moon! Our Upper Cumberland Weather Channel on YouTube — soon to have its own smart TV app — has become our number one project the past couple of years, and we’ve built it to a point where you can tune in at any given point during the day or night for local weather information. It’s the only 24/7 live weather channel dedicated to our region that provides high resolution radar and our exclusive Tower Cam Network with live views all throughout the Upper Cumberland, in addition LIVE on-air updates during severe weather and a number of other products you’ll only find there. Our local business sponsors get prime advertising on this channel (including REAL TV-style commercials!) for a very low cost compared to other local media outlets, and they’re supporting us in return. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!

You can see our list of sponsors on the graphic below. Quadrupling this list is our top goal right now. Let’s make it happen! Reach out to us today if you are interested in supporting us as a sponsor and to see YOUR business name proudly displayed on this list!

On a smaller scale, there are a number of investments I want to make that will have an immediate impact on how we do things. Just to name a few, we desperately need a generator with enough horsepower to keep us going during times of severe weather. We currently have battery backup systems that can sustain us for about 30 minutes or so, but having the security of a generator would ensure we can remain live through an extended power outage as long as we have internet (which should be less likely to go out). A couple of our computer systems are beginning to show their age, and I’m just waiting for them to die any day now out of the blue. They need to be replaced soon with additional machines added to the mix in order to better separate some of the big tasks I’m throwing at them, especially with the high-powered demands of our 24/7 UCW Channel. There are a number of studio improvements I want to make as I move toward delivering daily video content in the near future, such as with lighting and audio (don’t get me started on audio). These are just a handful of items out of a VERY long list of things.

If you want to help with these things, we have options for one-time donations (Venmo and CashApp). Or if you want to make a monthly recurring contribution, we have a Patreon account set up just for that. Those details are included on the graphic below. We also have Facebook’s own subscription system enabled, but I recommend opting for our Patreon instead, as Facebook (and especially Apple or Google, depending on your smartphone) keeps a significant portion of your proceeds. Patreon’s fees are much less, so you can be assured your money is going to us and not some big corporate overlord who doesn’t need or deserve any of it.

We’re doing some pretty big things here, and I couldn’t be more excited for the future. I feel like the phrase ‘big shoes to fill’ applies to us, but in a different sense of how that phrase is normally used. Our follower growth has FAR outpaced our growth as a business (as evidenced by the fact we are now THE NUMBER ONE followed local media outlet in the entire region!), and we desperately need to start playing catch-up on the business side in order to provide you with the high level of coverage such a following commands!

And if you can’t support us financially, don’t sweat it! Simply reacting to our posts and sharing them with your friends goes a VERY long ways in spreading the word about what we do here, including this one!

God bless you all of your continued support and trust in what we do here.

01/16/2024

Tennessee weather is something else…

Three days ago, the big story was high winds that produced some wind damage across our eastern areas. Tonight, we have several inches of snow on the ground, and the story is shifting once again toward extreme cold.

And there are more stories yet to come.

Let’s number everything, just to keep up…

1) Snow has finally come to an end after roughly 24 hours of near continuous snow showers. The end result is somewhere around 5-8 inches of snow accumulation for most of us and treacherous roads — some of which could remain snow-covered for a good 60 hours or longer. I’ve already said pretty much all there is (for me) to say about roads — I’m one person covering 14 counties, so you’ll need to ask around for specifics on any roads in question. I don’t keep up with this information, especially when the snow problem exists quite literally everywhere. I also don’t give advice to anyone’s particular situation. My advice to EVERYONE is to stay home unless you absolutely have to be out on the roads tonight and Tuesday (and probably Wednesday too). As for when conditions will finally improve, sunshine and middle-upper 20s are expected Wednesday afternoon. This should help *some* with the melting process, especially on main roads where that solar radiation and elevated temperatures (if still below freezing) should finally allow TDOT’s treatments to do their thing and really get things cleared up. Untreated backroads and secondary streets may see minor improvement, especially in wide open areas where the sun can filter through, but I fully expect them to remain treacherous through Thursday morning before our temperatures finally look to climb just above freezing by afternoon…if briefly. And even then, we’ll still likely have some lingering issues than could be worsened. More on that below.

2) A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect through Wednesday morning. These next 60 hours will feature temperatures well below freezing paired with very cold wind chills. Most of us will likely fall down into the lower single digits to near zero overnight tonight. With a slight breeze, this will make for wind chills potentially as low as -10° to -15° in some areas. Highs Tuesday will only climb into the teens with single digit wind chills. We’ll be even colder tomorrow night, bottoming out near zero with some areas falling below zero…and that’s the actual air temperature. Wind chill values could be as low as -15° or even colder. Needless to say, it will be very easy to get frostbite if you aren’t properly dressed for these conditions. If your day tomorrow will consist of sledding or snowman building, be extra cautious about limiting your time outdoors, especially if you lack sufficient winter clothing for this kind of cold.

3) Our next system… I’ve been asked probably a dozen times about this and have mentioned it some in previous discussions. Models aren’t in full agreement with Thursday’s weather, but indications are we may finally climb above freezing for a short period during the afternoon hours with highs forecast to reach the middle to upper 30s. I cannot rule out at this point the potential for temperatures to hover around the freezing mark, as some model runs are showing this kind of scenario. But either way, additional melting should most certainly take place. Our next storm system will move through later in the day, hanging with us overnight before departing Friday morning. Details are still to be fully ironed out, but it appears this could begin as a wintry mix of light rain and snow, ending as all snow showers. I’m not sure what kind of scenario would be best here (other than no precipitation at all), as light rain would help to make snowy spots on roads slushy…which will then turn to pure ice. On the other hand, snow is, well, snow. Either way, I expect treacherous roads — especially secondary street and backroads — to continue to be an issue Friday and into Saturday, as temperatures will go right back into the deep freeze with highs in the lower 20s paired with single digit lows. Regarding potential accumulations, we’re *probably* looking at less than an inch, but I want to add a big disclaimer that this forecast is still subject to change.

4) Escaping Winter’s grasp (at least for a little while)… This won’t be one of those multi-week-long cold snaps we can’t seem to break. We’ll actually begin trending toward much milder weather to end the month. We’ll begin the process Sunday with highs forecast to climb back into the middle 30s. This will help melt away some of our remaining issues, although problems could still persist into Monday with lows falling back down well below freezing. But… it won’t take long for all remaining snow and ice to finally melt away early next week as milder temperatures take hold. By late next week, we could be talking 50s for highs, maybe even flirting with 60°! It’s still a ways out, but confidence in milder temperatures returning is pretty high along with rain chances to reenter the picture. That’s all I’ll give for a preview as we’re still over a week out, but if snow isn’t your thing, there is hope in the not-so-distant future.

5) I can’t let the day end without mentioning that we just hit the 45,000 follower mark on our page this evening! Y’all have already recently made us the most-followed local media source in the Upper Cumberland on Facebook, and we just keep on growing! Thank you all so much for your continued support of what we do here. God bless.

01/15/2024

I've received numerous questions regarding road conditions... "How are they looking now?" "How will they be tomorrow?" "What's your opinion of driving from x location to y location at z time?"

I'm just one person stuck at his home in a backwoods holler, refusing to get out in these conditions. Unfortunately, I don't have answers to these questions. I can confidently say nearly all untreated secondary roads and hollers will be extremely treacherous through at least Wednesday morning and probably on into Thursday wherever the sun isn't able to make a dent. TDOT crews have been hard at work treating primary streets and highways, but even that has been an uphill battle because of the persistent snowfall today. Even with snow showers coming to an end later tonight, I would anticipate main roads to remain an icy, snowy mess through at least tomorrow and potentially beyond in many areas. It's going to take some time to clear all of this away. There's no way around it.

I can't answer questions on whether or not you should head out. For one, it's a liability issue, and I don't want any burden placed on me if something were to happen to you! Second, I simply don't know what roads are like wherever it is you need to go. My messaging has been pretty consistent: unless you absolutely have to be out because your line of work demands it or you have an emergency, stay home. It's incredibly simple. If you do have to get out on the roads, take it slow and easy, especially around curves and up/down hills. Arrive alive, don't worry about being on time.

If your business does not HAVE to be open, I strongly encourage you to close for the safety of your staff. At minimum, don't penalize folks who choose to put their safety first. The almighty dollar is not worth someone's life.

01/15/2024

Salem's SnowCat Report for Tuesday, January 16, 2024, is pretty straightforward…

…there won’t be school tomorrow. Some districts in our 14-county viewing area have reported closures beyond Tuesday. Here’s the list as it currently stands:

Clay County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Cumberland County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
DeKalb County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Fentress County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Jackson County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Macon County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday)
Overton County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Pickett County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Putnam County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Smith County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday)
Trousdale County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Van Buren County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Warren County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)
White County Schools: CLOSED (Tuesday and Wednesday)

(Last updated 2:14 p.m. CST)

Disclaimer: We have zero to do with the decision making process for school closings and delays. Further, we only report for our the following Tennessee counties in our viewing area: Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren and White.

If your county is not on that list, please seek alternate reliable news sources for the latest information.

01/15/2024

Our winter storm team is fully assembled and ready to provide non-stop coverage you can count on.

01/15/2024

Let’s see those snow pics!

01/15/2024

The whole state! ✋❄️

Road conditions have rapidly deteriorated over the past couple hours all across the Upper Cumberland and most of Middle Tennessee as a whole. Hope y'all stocked up on milk and bread for those coveted milk sandwiches!

01/15/2024

A classic winter snow storm is underway across the Upper Cumberland this morning. Most areas picked up around 3-4 inches of snow accumulation overnight. We've had a brief lull in activity in most areas since daylight has arrived, but it's short-lived as the 'snow train' is lifting back into the region as we speak, soon to blanket most of us with snow showers once again.

Central and eastern sections have the best chance at heavier snow bands setting up today, propelling snow totals well up into the 6-10" range (combined with what's already fallen). I would not be surprised at all if we hear reports of nearly a foot of snow in some of our higher elevations along the Plateau, such as the Monterey area.

Even for those more to the northwest -- while the lull in snow shower activity might last a bit later into the morning, it does appear more snow will be on the way, helping push totals into the 5-8" range.

The 'snow train' won't begin to depart until later this evening with snow showers gradually coming to an end for all areas after midnight.

Overall, if you love snow, this is the event for you -- leaving no one disappointed! If you don't love snow, there really isn't much positivity for you here, unfortunately.

Our Winter Storm Warning remains in effect through 6 a.m. Tuesday. Most area roads are snow-covered and very treacherous. Even streets and highways TDOT is able to plow and treat will be subject to remaining in poor shape thanks to the snowfall that will be with us most of the day. Needless to say, unless travel is absolutely essential for work or emergencies, stay off the roads today and tomorrow. If you are among those who have to venture out, please take it slow and easy.

Highs this afternoon will only be in the lower 20s -- perhaps even the upper teens in some spots. Everything that falls will continue to stick with no melting occurring today. While snow is coming to an end overnight, our temperatures will plummet well into the lower teens or even upper single digits. A slight breeze will make it feel like we're about -5 degrees.

Highs tomorrow may run a few degrees colder than today in the middle to upper teens, even with cloud cover gradually decreasing during the afternoon hours. All but treated roads will remain extremely treacherous -- and even those TDOT is able to get to will likely have numerous slick spots. Very little or no melting will occur tomorrow.

If your kids want to play out in the snow the next few days, please be sure they are dressed appropriately for this kind of cold and limit playtime as much as possible, taking frequent breaks to warm up inside. We don't want to crowd our emergency rooms with frostbite patients (or put anyone in danger trying to GET to the ER in the first place!).

Our coldest temperatures will come Tuesday night into Wednesday morning when overnight lows will range from about -2 (negative two) degrees to just a hair above zero. Wind chill values will range from about -8 to -14.

We'll start to make some slight progress Wednesday afternoon with sunny skies expected and highs well up into the 20s. This should help our primary roads considerably as treatments can really do their thing with the radiational help, but most backroads will likely remain problematic. The slight melting we do see may work against us in some way, as the top layer of slushy snow will become hardened ice, making snow-covered roads that much more treacherous.

Thursday will finally bring above freezing temperatures by afternoon with middle to upper 30s expected. This should really help to get the melting game going, but we certainly won't be able to get rid of all of it with so much snow having fallen. Not only that, but yet ANOTHER winter system is set to impact us Thursday evening into Friday. This may start out as a wintry mix becoming all snow showers during the nighttime hours of Thursday with accumulating snow possible. Right now, accumulations amounts appear light, but we'll be keeping a close eye on this system over the coming days.

Temperatures Friday and Saturday will once again fall back down into the deep freeze with highs in the lower to middle 20s and lows in the single digits. Whatever backroads continue to have treacherous spots will remain slick, and that's not accounting for any additional snow that may fall into Friday morning.

It won't truly be until Sunday that we can finally begin the road to true melting with highs in the middle 30s and sunshine. Next week will bring a complete '360' to our weather as we flip back into a milder pattern. By the middle of next week, we could be taking highs well into the 50s with RAIN returning to the forecast. That's still a long ways out, but the long range trend does look for above average temperatures to take hold next week and potentially through the end of the month.

What a ride.

01/15/2024

The best part about this system is there are no freezing rain/icing concerns, which seem to have been a common theme with some of our more recent ‘big’ snow events. This time around, it’s purely snow. And a LOT of it. Roads are still extremely treacherous, but power outage concerns are low, and if any are to occur, they should be isolated and not too difficult for linemen to reach.

01/15/2024

I feel it’s safe to assume pretty much every backwoods holler road in the Upper Cumberland looks like this right now. This is out in front of our home in northern Smith County. Road conditions will rapidly deteriorate from here overnight, including streets and highways that were treated. Avoid travel unless it is absolutely essential. Let me know what you’re seeing!

01/14/2024

We have a BIG UPDATE to our projected snowfall totals as models are getting a pretty good hold on this system. Snowfall looks to begin earlier than expected, moving in just after sunset this afternoon and continuing pretty much non-stop through the overnight hours and throughout much of the day tomorrow. Expect travel conditions to deteriorate quickly this evening. It's looking like some of the heavier snow bands will indeed make it farther north than some of the models were showing over the past 24 hours. Stay tuned for further updates.

Posted at 2:45 p.m. CDT Sunday, January 14, 2024

01/14/2024

**UPDATED SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION PROJECTIONS - SUNDAY, JANUARY 14**
**WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT 6 P.M. THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 A.M. TUESDAY**

We mentioned yesterday a couple of the global models were hinting toward bringing higher snow totals a bit farther south, which would include areas like McMinnville, Spencer and Crossville. Now the short-range models are (mostly) coming on board with this solution, thus necessitating a slight adjustment to the projected accumulations map.

This still looks to be a decent snowfall for all areas. Colder temperatures to the northwest will allow more snow to be squeezed out of a bit more limited moisture, thus helping snow totals still reach the 3-4 inch range as the forecast currently stands. It’s in these areas we expect the snow to have a more powdery consistency — a snow better suited for sledding.

Farther south and east, we expect a greater push of moisture with a better chance of deformation zones setting up, thus pushing projected snow totals a bit higher to the 4-6 inch range. A few locations could see as much as 6-8 inches, especially in our higher elevations along the Plateau. It’s in these areas we expect the snow to be heavier/wetter in consistency — a better packing snow for snowman builders.

All of this being said, please note that these snow totals are projections, not the God-given gospel. Forecasting snow in Tennessee isn’t a perfect science as we all should know, but there is high confidence in this being a significant snowfall event for most, if not all of us. Any slight change in the track of this system — north or south — could mean an increase (or decrease) in snow totals for any given location.

TIMING: Our go-to, short-range model — the HRRR — has snow showers entering the Upper Cumberland as early as 6-8 p.m. this evening. These initial snow bands will likely be on the lighter side, increasing in intensity as the night progresses. It’s tough to say when roads will begin deteriorating, but with temperatures remaining below freezing all day today and falling into the teens overnight, everything that falls will stick on contact with the ground.

Snow showers will continue off and on throughout our Monday, coming to an end early Tuesday morning.

Signifiant travel issues can be expected tonight, all day Monday and throughout our Tuesday. Even with sunshine returning Wednesday, highs will still be just below freezing, so any improvement to travel will likely be confined to main roads that are treated and some sections of back roads where the sun is able to do its thing. We will climb above freezing Thursday afternoon with temperatures spanning the upper 30s to around 40, so we should have some decent improvement at that point. However, our NEXT winter weather system will be gearing up to move through, bringing yet another push of frigid temperatures for this weekend and a chance for accumulating snowfall Thursday night into Friday. We’ll talk more about this in the next day or two.

We also can’t ignore the VERY frigid temperatures we’re facing the next few days. We’re already getting a taste of it today with highs only in the 20s. Overnight lows tonight and tomorrow night will be down in the teens. We’ll fall down into the single digits Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with wind chill values dangerously low — well below zero across the board.

Please make sure any elderly family members who have a hard time getting around, or any other vulnerable persons you know of, are safe and warm. Travel conditions will be difficult, and while we’re not expecting any icing, an isolated power outage or two cannot be ruled out, particularly in areas where heavy, wet snow really piles on, weighing down tree branches that could potentially fall onto power lines.

That’s all I have for now. We’ll soon be shifting from ‘forecasting’ to ‘nowcasting’ this event as it begins to unfold. Please stay safe and God bless.

01/14/2024

WINTER STORM WARNING for Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren and White Counties in effect fro 6 p.m. this evening until 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Our messaging remains mostly unchanged from the past 24 hours. A significant winter storm is gearing up to impact pretty much the entire state of Tennessee this evening through Tuesday. For us, we can expect snow showers to begin later tonight between around 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. — I wouldn’t be surprised if some of us already have an inch of snow (or more) on the ground by daybreak Monday.

Show showers will be with us off and on (more ‘on’ than ‘off’) all throughout our Monday, including the nighttime hours. Snow looks to begin tapering off by around Tuesday morning.

Even as we’re now within 24 hours of this system moving in, forecast models still differ a bit with where to place the highest snowfall totals. NWS Nashville has been erring toward an average of these models, which places our region in a prime position for healthy accumulation totals of at least 3 inches with totals of 4-6 inches likely in many areas. Locally higher amounts of more than 6 inches are certainly possible.

Please note that these totals are still subject to change somewhat, but confidence is increasing that this will be an impactful snowfall event for all of us. Whether your backyard gets 2.5 inches or 6 inches, road conditions will still be problematic either way with temperatures well below freezing throughout this snowfall event.

Also regarding accumulations, it’s likely cold air will aid snowfall accumulations north of where the heaviest bands set up. Colder temperatures are able to squeeze more moisture out of the atmosphere, thus allowing more snow to accumulate than would otherwise be the case with warmer temperatures (for example, 22 degrees vs 29 degrees). It does change the precipitable moisture ratio a bit — such a scenario might mean 1” of snow would be the rough equivalent of only 1/16” inch of rainfall, vs 1” equalling 1/10” of an inch of rain where temperatures are a bit warmer. This would change the composition of the snow (more powdery and not as favorable for snowman-building), but it would accumulate all the same. I just wanted to throw this extra weather-nerdy tidbit in here, as the snow accumulation maps random basement weather pages will sometimes post only account for a 10:1 ratio overall, which would lead to misleading projections in some areas where colder temperatures will definitely have an influence. This is a very important forecasting aspect that could very well come into play tomorrow, especially the farther north you are if the heavier bands set up more to the south. This is also another reason why forecasting snow in this part of the world is SUPER difficult, as these little nuances aren’t always accounted for by weather models, which themselves output different potential outcomes between each run, between each model. It’s a complicated game, to say the least.

We still expect temperatures to be VERY cold between now and Thursday morning — more than 100 consecutive hours below freezing. We’ll be in the teens and lower 20s for much of that period with the coldest temperatures being felt Wednesday morning when we’ll dip down into the lower single digits. Wind chill values will be well below zero.

We’re still forecast to have a small window Thursday afternoon with temperatures slightly above freezing, but it will be short-lived as our next winter weather system moves in that will bring more cold, and yes, potentially more accumulating snow.

We have all day today to get ready for this event as snow won’t begin falling until tonight. The most important thing is to make SURE any vulnerable persons you know, including elderly family members living alone, are taken care of. Dangerous cold paired with dangerous roads is not a good combination. We want to make sure everyone is safe and warm this week.

We’ll post an updated accumulations map later this morning along with additional forecast details as I scan through the latest model data. Until then, I’m heading back to bed. Stay safe and God bless.

01/13/2024

Well folks, it’s finally time to really start talking about this big winter weather system that’s been looming on the horizon for several days now. Because we’re less than 48 hours out, we can begin providing accumulation estimates with at least some level of certainty, but please note that these forecasted amounts could still shift around some. Confidence is relatively high that nearly all of us will see snow accumulations of *at least* two inches. Anything beyond that is still subject to change. Even at the time of writing this, the latest runs of the GFS and ECMWF (Euro) models are wavering back toward shifting higher accumulations south of us. However, the overall trend across all models has been toward this being a fairly significant snowfall event for us, and that is the forecast NWS Nashville is providing at this time. So please… take this map with a grain of salt!

As for the forecast itself, let’s start with right now. It’s cold and sunny. Highs this afternoon will top out in the middle 30s to around 40 with a stiff breeze making the air sting your face with a brisk force when walking directly into the wind. Lows overnight will fall down into the upper teens to around 20. We’ll turn even colder tomorrow with highs only in the 20s as clouds increase ahead of our winter weather system.

We still have a bit to work out with the timing of the onset of snow showers, but sometime between late Sunday evening and very early Monday morning is what we’re currently looking at for snowfall to begin. Because it will be so cold (lows Sunday night will drop down into the middle teens), everything that falls will stick upon contact. There will be no ‘splat, then melt’ with this snow.

Snow showers will continue off and on all throughout our Monday and into Tuesday morning before tapering off. If we end up being in the zone where most of the snowfall occurs, most of this period will likely be ‘on’ for snow with accumulations of more than three inches likely for most of us. Again, and as I’ve mentioned, this forecast is still subject to change.

A Winter Storm Watch will go into effect at 6 p.m. tomorrow, expiring at noon Tuesday. This may be upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning within the next 24 hours. Expect significant impacts to travel all across the region. With temperatures expected to be below freezing through Thursday morning, don’t expect much improvement to roads outside of primary streets and highways that are treated by TDOT.

The other, arguably LARGER story here is the bitter cold we’re facing the next few days. Highs Sunday through Wednesday will be in the 20s. Highs Tuesday may not get out of the teens. Overnight lows will be down in the teens except for Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, when we’ll fall well down into the lower single digits. Now factor in the wind chill, and we will ‘feel like’ well below zero. These temperatures are dangerous to anyone caught outdoors without appropriate clothing for more than a few minutes. PLEASE be sure to check on your elderly family members and neighbors and any other vulnerable persons. Make sure they have working heat or even offer to take them in for the duration of this extreme cold.

We won’t climb above freezing again until Thursday afternoon, but it doesn’t look to be by much (middle to upper 30s), and it will be brief. Some melting might take place, but yet ANOTHER chance for winter weather is appearing possible Thursday night into Friday with the chance for more snow. Temperatures will turn much colder once again, as well. This will certainly be something to keep an eye on later next week.

That’s all I have for now. Stay tuned for further updates, stay safe and God bless.