Severe Weather Risk for Saturday, Dec 21, 2013

Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected for Mississippi tomorrow, Saturday, December 21, 2013.

Thunderstorms producing 60-70mph wind gusts and tornadoes, some strong, are possible, with a focus for portions of the Mississippi Delta.  The most likely scenario calls for a strong squall line to move through the area, but discreet supercells may develop ahead of the line, thus raising the risk for tornado development.

Bolivar-Washington-Sunflower-Leflore counties are considered to have the highest risk for strong tornadoes (45% chance within 25 miles of any given point) and damaging winds, some gusting up to 70mph.

Attala-Carroll-Holmes-Humphreys-Montgomery counties also are at risk for damaging straight-line winds of 60-70mph, and some tornadoes.

As of this writing, timing for storms appears to be:
Bolivar-Sunflower-Washington: 1pm-5pm
Attala-Carroll-Holmes-Humphreys-Leflore-Montgomery: 3pm-8pm

Rainfall across the area is expected to be in the 1-2 inch range, but up to 3 inches are possible in some localized areas.

A Wind Advisory will be in effect also Saturday, with sustained winds of 20-30mph, gusting 35-40mph.

***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***

Freezing Rain Adivsory - 12/6/13

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
419 AM CST FRI DEC 6 2013

...WINTER STORM SYSTEM TO BRING ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHWEST DELTA REGION LATER TODAY...

.AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE MOVING ACROSS THE REGION TODAY
USHERING IN SIGNIFICANTLY COLDER AIR. ABUNDANT MID LEVEL MOISTURE
WILL OVERRIDE THIS SHALLOW COLD AIRMASS...WITH FREEZING RAIN LIKELY
TO BEGIN ACROSS THE NORTHWEST DELTA BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON TODAY...
CONTINUING INTO THE EVENING.

ASHLEY-CHICOT-BOLIVAR-SUNFLOWER-WASHINGTON-

419 AM CST FRI DEC 6 2013

...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
8 PM CST THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON HAS ISSUED A FREEZING
RAIN ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
8 PM CST THIS EVENING. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN
EFFECT.

* TIMING:...FREEZING RAIN WILL LIKELY BEGIN BETWEEN 1 AND 3 PM THIS
  AFTERNOON CONTINUING INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

* MAIN IMPACT: ICE ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN 0.1 AND 0.2 INCHES WILL BE
  POSSIBLE.

* OTHER IMPACTS: HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP...
  ESPECIALLY ON AREA BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. FALLING TREE BRANCHES
  WILL BE A DANGER TO ANYONE OUTDOORS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN OR
FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***

Weekend Winter Weather Chances

The graphics below are from the NOAA Weather Prediction Center's Probabilistic Winter Precipitation Guidance page.  The graphics depict chances for freezing rain at 0.10 and 0.25" accumulation from 6am Friday, December 6, to 6am Saturday, December 7. 

What these two graphics represent is the accumulation potential for that timeframe.  The colors do not represent total accumulation - they illustrate the probability of an amount in a given timeframe.  Bolivar, Washington, Sunflower and a good portion of Leflore counties will very likely see amounts of 0.10" or greater, as illustrated by the first graphic.  For the same counties, the second graphic shows a lower probability of accumulation greater than 0.25"

In short, expect between 0.10" and 0.25" across the western Delta counties Friday afternoon and overnight into Saturday.

This graphic shows the chances of freezing rain with greater than 0.10" accumulation from 6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday:

This graphic shows the chances of freezing rain with greater than 0.25" accumulation from 6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday 

***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***

Winter Storm Watch Friday 12/6 - Saturday 12/7

A WINTER STORM WATCH has been issued for a number of counties in the Mississippi Delta.  One-quarter inch if icing is possible Friday night into Saturday morning.

Icing of bridges, power lines, and trees can be expected.  This can create extremely dangerous traveling conditions, as well as power outages in some areas.

PREPAREDNESS:

• Top off vehicle fuel levels
• Check batteries in FM/AM broadcast radios, flashlights, smoke alarms
• Have some cash on-hand
• Exercise in- and out-of-state family contacts, verify working numbers, and have a communications plan

You can find more preparedness ideas from the American Red Cross by clicking here for a printable PDF checklist.

Here is the 8:00am weather information from NWS Jackson:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
454 AM CST THU DEC 5 2013

...A WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING SOME ICING TO PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHWEST DELTA REGION...

.AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL DROP INTO THE ARKLAMISS TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY
USHERING IN SIGNIFICANTLY COLDER AIR. ABUNDANT MIDLEVEL MOISTURE
WILL OVERRIDE THIS SHALLOW COLD AIRMASS...WITH A MIXTURE OF FREEZING
RAIN AND RAIN LIKELY TO BEGIN BY MID AFTERNOON ON FRIDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY NIGHT. ICING ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR OF UP TO ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH
FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. THE AREA AFFECTED WILL BE
GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A BASTROP TO VICKSBURG TO SILVER CITY TO
A GRENADA LINE. 

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE
FRIDAY NIGHT.

*TIMING:...NOON FRIDAY UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY.

* MAIN IMPACT: ICE ACCUMULATIONS...OF AROUND ONE QUARTER AN INCH.

* OTHER IMPACTS: HAZARDOUS TRAVEL IS EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES
  AND OVERPASSES. ONE MAY EXPECT SOME DOWNED TREE BRANCHES...AND SOME
  POSSIBLE DOWN POWER LINES...THAT MAY LEAD TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME POWER
  OUTAGES. FALLING TREE BRANCHES MAY ALSO BECOME A DANGER TO ANYONE
  OUTDOORS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
LATEST FORECASTS.

***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***

September 2013 Rainfall Review

Here is a composite chart showing rainfall for the month of September, 2013.  A total of 4.48 inches of rainfall, or 128% of normal, was recorded over 6 precipitation days in www.cocorahs.org rain gauge MS-SF-1, located on the north side of Indianola, Mississippi.  Of special note, September saw 17 days in a row without precipitation.  This is the longest streak of no recorded rainfall since and 8-day stretch from January 18-25, 2013.

Year-to-Date MS-SF-1 has recorded 46.48 inches of precipitation, which is 86% of our annual normal.

If you're willing to record daily precipitation totals, please visit the CoCoRaHS website linked above for more information on how to join the network.  CoCoRaHS data is used by a wide variety of organizations, including the National Weather Service, emergency mangers, hydrologists, and many others.  CoCoRaHS data can be enhanced by having one station per square mile in urban areas, and one station every 36 square miles (survey township size) in rural areas.

Year-to-Date:

Date	Precip
09/01/2013	0.00
09/02/2013	0.06
09/03/2013	0.74
09/04/2013	0.00
09/05/2013	0.00
09/06/2013	0.00
09/07/2013	0.00
09/08/2013	0.00
09/09/2013	0.00
09/10/2013	0.00
09/11/2013	0.00
09/12/2013	0.00
09/13/2013	0.00
09/14/2013	0.00
09/15/2013	0.00
09/16/2013	0.00
09/17/2013	0.00
09/18/2013	0.00
09/19/2013	0.00
09/20/2013	0.00
09/21/2013	1.27
09/22/2013	0.00
09/23/2013	0.00
09/24/2013	0.99
09/25/2013	0.96
09/26/2013	0.00
09/27/2013	0.00
09/28/2013	0.00
09/29/2013	0.00
09/30/2013	0.46
Totals :	4.48

July and August 2013 Rainfall Review

I seem to have missed posting the July 2013 Rainfall Review!  Please accept my apologies.  The data for July and August are included in this report.

For the month of July 2013, a total of 5.49 inches of rainfall, or 139% of normal, was recorded over 5 precipitation days in www.cocorahs.org rain gauge MS-SF-1, located on the north side of Indianola, Mississippi.

For the month of August, 2013, a total of 0.82 inches, or 31% of normal, was recorded over 8 precipitation days.

Year-to-Date MS-SF-1 has recorded 54.03 inches of precipitation, which is 78% of our annual normal.

If you're willing to record daily precipitation totals, please visit the CoCoRaHS website linked above for more information on how to join the network.  CoCoRaHS data is used by a wide variety of organizations, including the National Weather Service, emergency mangers, hydrologists, and many others.  CoCoRaHS data can be enhanced by having one station per square mile in urban areas, and one station every 36 square miles (survey township size) in rural areas.

Year-to-Date:

Mississippi Scam Alert

Information from the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office concerning a scam:

Mississippi businesses and residential customers are being targeted by con artists posing as Entergy employees who demand immediate payment for an alleged past due utility bill.

According to Entergy officials, the scammer calls a customer to say the electric bill payment is past due and threatens to cut off utility service within one hour unless payment is made immediately. Customers are then told they can transfer funds electronically, usually using a system referred to as “Money Pak.”  This payment processing system is NOT authorized to receive funds for Entergy.

Entergy officials say the scam apparently started in Arkansas in May and then spread to Louisiana. The first reports of Mississippi scams were received late last week from three Jackson-area restaurants.

Entergy Mississippi warns customers not to fall victim to the scam. They remind everyone that Entergy never demands immediate payment of a past due bill.

•        While Entergy does place courtesy calls if a customer is at risk for disconnection for past-due accounts, they are recorded calls made in advance of the cut-off date and are not from live customer service representatives.
•        Entergy bills may be paid by phone using a credit or debit card, but only through Billmatrix, a third-party vendor under contract with Entergy.
•        Customers should never give personal or financial information to strangers.
•        If a phone call sounds suspicious, customers should call 1-800-Entergy (1-800-368-3749) and ask to speak with an Entergy customer service representative.

If any individual or business has been the target of such a scam or other attempts to defraud, they should immediately contact the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection at 1-800-281-4418 or 601-359-4230 to file a report.  If customers are concerned their Entergy account has been affected, they can call 1-800-ENTERGY (1‑800‑368‑3749) to speak with an Entergy customer service representative.

More information on payment options for Entergy bills is available online at www.entergy.com