Quick thaw, rain may trigger flooding in snow-covered Tennessee and Kentucky
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 7, 2022 1:57 PM EDT
|
Updated Jan 10, 2022 6:39 AM EDT
A satellite image taken on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, reveals a fresh coat of snow across parts of Tennessee, Kentucky and into West Virginia and points farther north from a storm that hit a day earlier. (RAMMB / CIRA)
(RAMMB / CIRA)
Warmer air and precipitation in the form of rain this past weekend raised the risk of flooding across parts of Tennessee and Kentucky that were blanketed by significant accumulations during a late-week snowstorm.
Thursday's storm dropped 6.3 inches of snow officially at Nashville International Airport, Tennessee, and that was the biggest storm there since 8 inches fell at the site nearly six years ago on Jan. 22, 2016. The storm had motorists stuck for hours on some of the highways in the region.
Immediately following the snowstorm, temperatures throughout the Tennessee and lower Ohio valleys plunged into the teens and single-digit readings, but a significant warmup quickly followed that led to some rapid snowmelt. On top of that, the warmer air was accompanied by rainfall.
"A storm moving in from the Plains drew Gulf of Mexico moisture northward into the lower Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valley regions on Sunday, and that led to periods of drenching rain," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
The thaw helped to melt off snow as well as hard-packed snow from roads helped with the ongoing snow removal process, but there were some problems as well.
"When combined with temperatures surging into the 40s, 50s F and even near 60 degrees in some locations, snow melted quickly," Anderson said, adding that while there was not a huge amount of water locked up in the recent snowfall, it contributed to the runoff.
Flood warnings and advisories (green) were in effect across the Tennessee Valley around the major rivers early Monday morning.
The meltdown led to urban and poor drainage area flooding, especially where piles of snow were blocking storm drains on city streets and parking lots.
Meteorologists say motorists should not attempt to drive through flooded roadways as the water may be deeper than it appears and could cause vehicles to stall and lead to permanent electrical system damage.
Much of the area has received average amounts of rain to 150% of average rainfall, including the equivalent of melted snow, since early December. The Lexington, Kentucky, and Charleston, West Virginia, areas received 8-12 inches of snow from the storm on Thursday and between 2 and 2.50 inches of rain on New Year's Day.
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Much to the relief of people in communities hit by severe weather with tornadoes from Dec. 10-11 and New Year's Eve, the setup is not expected to trigger severe thunderstorms in areas that were blanketed by snow this week, but thunder, lightning and locally gusty winds can accompany the rain in some locations.
The greatest risk of storms turning severe this weekend was farther south along the Interstate 10 and 20 corridors from eastern Texas to Alabama.
In the wake of the rainstorm on Sunday, another quick temperature plunge is in store at the start of the new week.
"Areas of standing water and damp areas will freeze as temperatures drop," Anderson warned. Widespread low temperatures in the 20s are in store on Monday morning.
While the pattern this week may not be totally free from storm systems and perhaps a little wintry precipitation, the weather overall should be much less stormy in the region.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Quick thaw, rain may trigger flooding in snow-covered Tennessee and Kentucky
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 7, 2022 1:57 PM EDT | Updated Jan 10, 2022 6:39 AM EDT
A satellite image taken on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, reveals a fresh coat of snow across parts of Tennessee, Kentucky and into West Virginia and points farther north from a storm that hit a day earlier. (RAMMB / CIRA)
Warmer air and precipitation in the form of rain this past weekend raised the risk of flooding across parts of Tennessee and Kentucky that were blanketed by significant accumulations during a late-week snowstorm.
Thursday's storm dropped 6.3 inches of snow officially at Nashville International Airport, Tennessee, and that was the biggest storm there since 8 inches fell at the site nearly six years ago on Jan. 22, 2016. The storm had motorists stuck for hours on some of the highways in the region.
Immediately following the snowstorm, temperatures throughout the Tennessee and lower Ohio valleys plunged into the teens and single-digit readings, but a significant warmup quickly followed that led to some rapid snowmelt. On top of that, the warmer air was accompanied by rainfall.
"A storm moving in from the Plains drew Gulf of Mexico moisture northward into the lower Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valley regions on Sunday, and that led to periods of drenching rain," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
The thaw helped to melt off snow as well as hard-packed snow from roads helped with the ongoing snow removal process, but there were some problems as well.
"When combined with temperatures surging into the 40s, 50s F and even near 60 degrees in some locations, snow melted quickly," Anderson said, adding that while there was not a huge amount of water locked up in the recent snowfall, it contributed to the runoff.
Flood warnings and advisories (green) were in effect across the Tennessee Valley around the major rivers early Monday morning.
The meltdown led to urban and poor drainage area flooding, especially where piles of snow were blocking storm drains on city streets and parking lots.
Meteorologists say motorists should not attempt to drive through flooded roadways as the water may be deeper than it appears and could cause vehicles to stall and lead to permanent electrical system damage.
Much of the area has received average amounts of rain to 150% of average rainfall, including the equivalent of melted snow, since early December. The Lexington, Kentucky, and Charleston, West Virginia, areas received 8-12 inches of snow from the storm on Thursday and between 2 and 2.50 inches of rain on New Year's Day.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Much to the relief of people in communities hit by severe weather with tornadoes from Dec. 10-11 and New Year's Eve, the setup is not expected to trigger severe thunderstorms in areas that were blanketed by snow this week, but thunder, lightning and locally gusty winds can accompany the rain in some locations.
The greatest risk of storms turning severe this weekend was farther south along the Interstate 10 and 20 corridors from eastern Texas to Alabama.
In the wake of the rainstorm on Sunday, another quick temperature plunge is in store at the start of the new week.
"Areas of standing water and damp areas will freeze as temperatures drop," Anderson warned. Widespread low temperatures in the 20s are in store on Monday morning.
While the pattern this week may not be totally free from storm systems and perhaps a little wintry precipitation, the weather overall should be much less stormy in the region.
More weather news:
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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