MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A third round of winter weather blanketed the Mid-South on Wednesday and continues to produce flurries for some of the Mid-South on Thursday.
The entire Mid-South is still under a Winter Storm Warning until Thursday afternoon. The heaviest of the snowfall has passed but there’s still a slight chance for snow flurries this morning.
Our Team 3 Coverage of the winter weather continues Thursday. Our team will post updates that we receive throughout the day right here to keep you updated with the latest information.
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WREG photographer Ian Ripple captured footage of a water main break on Leonora Drive in East Memphis.
Blytheville Police are asking the public to stay home and restrict all traffic to emergency only as the majority of the roads are completely covered in ice. Chief Ross Thompson said they got nearly 10 inches of snowfall in the last few days. For this reason, the roads have not had time to be cleared or thaw out. The city said it only has one snowplow, but it’s still all hands on deck working to get things cleared. The Arkansas Department of Transportation is working to clear the highways.
A water main break in Oxford, Mississippi, caused a headache for many residents. WREG’s Shay Arthur reported from the scene on Thursday and said crews are dealing with the main break and then on top of that they have a tanker that is leaking water. Residents were told they will be without water for several hours as crews work to fix the problem.
WREG’s Wendy Nations reported from Desoto County, Mississippi, on Thursday, saying snowplows were seen clearing Goodman Road near Airways around 11:30 a.m. While that road is not completely clear, it does have one lane open now, which is a relief since it’s such a busy road through Desoto County. A reminder that Entergy is asking Mississippi customers to conserve as much energy as possible, especially from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. this evening. If the demand remains high they may have to do controlled black outs that will last about an hour.
WREG’s Symone Woolridge was near Crump and Florida at noon and reported seeing a lot of stalled and/or abandoned vehicles along the icy roadways. She did report seeing several snowplows driving through the area, working to clear those roadways, but it’s going to be several days before things return back to normal.
A look at the I-240/I-40 flyover at noon. It appears several trucks have had to pull over due to the icy conditions.
NEWS CONFERENCE ALERT: The city of Memphis will be providing an update on the winter weather conditions Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
There have been four weather-related fatalities in Tennessee:
- Two in Shelby County
- One in Maury County
- One in Williamson County
Here is a list of shelters and warming centers in the state of Tennessee:
- Bedford County – Fair Haven Baptist Church, 2726 US-231, Shelbyville, TN
- Coffee County – Ada Wright Building, 328 N. Woodland St., Manchester, TN
- DeKalb County – Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 201 S. College St., Smithville, TN
- Dickson County – YMCA Dickson County, 225 Henslee Dr., Dickson, TN
- Giles County – Elkton Fire Department, 164 main St., Prospect, TN
- Giles County – Giles County Fire & Rescue Squad, 188 Oak Grove Rd., Goodspring, TN
- Henry County – Inman Middle School, 400 Harrison Street, Paris, TN
- Jackson County – West End Fire Hall, 110 Salt Lick Creek Rd., Pleasant Shade, TN
- Jackson County – Center Grove Community Center, 1137 Knobs Rd., Gainesboro, TN
- Moore County – Moore County High School, 1502 Lynchburg Hwy., Lynchburg, TN
- Overton County – First Christian Church, 320 Oakley St., Livingston, TN
- Putnam County – First Baptist Church, 18 S. Walnut Ave., Cookeville, TN
- Putnam County – Washington Avenue Baptist Church, 1621 N. Washington Ave., Cookeville, TN
- Shelby County – Hollywood Community Center, 1560 N. Hollywood Street Memphis, TN
- Shelby County – Lewis Senior Center, 1188 North Pkwy., Memphis, TN
- Shelby County – Ruth Tate Senior Center, 1640 Marjorie Street, Memphis, TN
- Weakley County – University of Tennessee at Martin Student Life Center, 199 Moody St., Martin, TN
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said ice and snow accumulations have impacted both west and middle Tennessee, creating hazardous road conditions, tree damage and leaving residents in the dark. A State of Emergency is still active and four weather-related fatalities have been confirmed in the state.
WREG’s Mike Suriani found what appears to be damage caused by the heavy snow at a business on Central near Cooper.
WREG’s Wendy Nations said she’s “happy clapping” as these roll down Goodman Road in Desoto County, Mississippi. Nations had been reporting all morning that she had not seen a snowplow in the area, which greatly needed it after the winter storms.
Officials at Memphis International Airport said they worked throughout the night to clear the runways and will continue those operations well into the weekend. There have been a few canceled flights for today, but some passenger airlines are still scheduled. Travelers should check with their airline regarding the status of their flight. Water pressure issues reported earlier this week continue, shutting down the restaurants in the airport, but restrooms are open along with retail shops.
COVID vaccinations scheduled on Friday, February 19, 2021 at the Memphis VA Medical Center is postponed. Those appointments will be rescheduled.
FedEx said it “experienced substantial disruptions” at the Memphis World Hub Wednesday evening into Thursday morning due to the winter weather. They said customers could experience service delays because of it.
The counties in purple are under a Winter Weather Advisory.
WREG’s Wendy Nations said while the much of the area has been placed under a Winter Weather Advisory, that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods just yet. Dangerously cold temperatures are yet to come and Mississippi is seeing a double whammy with poor road conditions and the demand for energy. Entergy Mississippi is asking all customers to decrease their electrical usage tonight from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. There is a potential for mandatory power outages if the demands for energy does not decrease. With that in mind, customers across the state should try to reduce their energy consumption and be prepared for the potential of being in the dark for about an hour.
Mississippi Emergency Management officials are warning that some areas could see refreezing Thursday evening into Friday morning.
City crews continue to work around the clock to clear the roadways.
WREG’s Jessica Gertler was safely driving along the streets in Memphis to get an idea of what was going on. During her last look live, she was on Park in the White Station area, which was blanketed in snow. While there were tire tracks at that location you couldn’t see the road. She said the roads are slippery and unpredictable.
Colonel Keith Watson with the Memphis Police Department provided some tips on how to drive safely in winter conditions. He said it all begins before you leave home. Before you leave, make sure that all of the accumulation is off the vehicle and be sure to pack an emergency kit in case you get stuck. This would include an extra blanket, change of clothes, food, snacks, a phone charger and anything else you might need should you be stranded. While driving it’s important to keep plenty of distance between you and other vehicles. If you should start sliding, take your foot off the accelerator or brake, and gain control of the wheel. Do NOT run right lights or stop signs to avoid getting stuck.
WREG’s Stacy Jacobson spoke with a grocer in Tipton County who said the lessons learned from the pandemic when there was limited supplies is really helping them this week as they work the winter storm.
WREG’s Stacy Jacobson reported Walmart has gone into their emergency operations settings. They released a statement saying, ” We are tracking the winter weather across the country in real time and have activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Walmart Home Office to support our associates in the field. In the EOC, we work directly with logistics, store operations and other teams within the business to align our support plans. Our priority is, and continues to be, the safety of our associates and customers — taking care of them and their families. We’re staying closely connected to our operators in the field to help ensure we’re stocking the appropriate items and keeping track of shipments to deliver for our customers. We have emergency support teams dedicated to helping our stores during critical events and our Merchandising, Replenishment, Supply Chain and Logistics teams are working to have critical supplies and products in store as quickly as possible. Individual store status will vary by location and we will continue to monitor the weather and provide assistance where necessary.”
WREG’s Wendy Nations has been reporting along Goodman Road in Desoto County, Mississippi, all week and said compared to earlier this week, road conditions are much worse. Like much of the Mid-South, the area got an intial wave of ice and snow that was packed down, only to be covered by yesterday’s snow event which brought several inches of additional accumulation. To make matters worse, she said she has not seen a snowplow in the area working to remove it on Thursday. Remeber, if Goodman Road has not been treated, the secondary roads won’t be much better.
WEATHER UPDATE: A Winter Weather Advisory has replaced the Winter Storm Warning for Mississippi and Tennessee counties in the WREG viewing area. The advisory will be in effect until Thursday at 6 p.m. Additional snow, sleet and freezing rain are possible this afternoon for those in these areas. Arkansas counties are now under a Hazardous Weather Outlook.
MATA is up and running, but on a limited basis on Thursday. Only a fixed-route bus service will be running until 6:45 p.m. MATA Plus will only be in operation for life sustaining trips until the same time. A decision on services for Friday has not been made at this time.
WREG’s Jessica Gertler has been carefully driving through the area looking at road conditions Thursday and said as of 9 a.m. the Overton Square area is “risky”. She said many of the roads in the area are covered in snow and drivers cannot see the roads. There are places where you can see tire tracks, but that’s not everywhere. Union Avenue (above) was the best looking condition wise, she said. People are out and about and, for the most part, are taking it slow.
WINTER WEATHER UPDATE: WREG’s Todd Demers said there is a small chance for a few more flurries, but conditions are improving weather-wise as of 9 a.m. They will also continue to improve over the next few hours. At 9 a.m., it was 23 degree with a wind chill of 11 degrees. Temperatures will try to climb into the 20s, but it’s not much of a warmup with the northerly winds and clouds. The Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 6 p.m. A warmup is coming this weekend.