Winter Storm Warning now in place

COLUMBUS, Mississippi (WCBI) – Calm before the winter storm. Moisture will build Thursday morning, ahead of the wintry mix by the end of the week.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Heading towards a mostly clear evening, temperatures tonight will fall into the upper teens and lower 20s.

THURSDAY: The day begins generally clear and cold, and sunshine should help temperatures reach the low 40s by afternoon.

THURSDAY NIGHT: High temperatures are heading back into the lower 40s. The Winter Storm Warning is already in place, ahead of the system. Clouds will roll in fast, and precip. will slowly trickle in after 6 PM. There generally should not be any issues before midnight, just like rain/flurries/sleet starting out. Intensity will increase after midnight, and travel conditions will worsen accordingly.

FRIDAY: The most active timeframe in the viewing area for winter weather looks to be after midnight Thursday through around lunchtime Friday. Areas along and north of US-82 will see a mixed bag of winter precip (sleet, brief freezing rain, snow) transitioning to mostly snow north of Hwy 8. South of US-82, brief wintry mix is possible Friday morning…but a fairly quick transition to a miserable cold rain is most likely at this point. A transition to rain is also expected for areas near US 82 by lunch as well.

BOTTOM LINE: Travel is most likely to be impacted in the winter storm warning area. Stay tuned for updates, as the “wiggle room” for this system is especially tight.