LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS — A strong winter system is forecast to blanket large parts of the Mid-South and Southern Appalachians with freezing rain, sleet, and icy conditions early this week, prompting meteorologists to warn residents across Arkansas, Tennessee, north Mississippi, Kentucky, and Virginia to prepare for hazardous travel and possible power outages through Wednesday.
According to updated model data from both the GFS and GEM weather systems, widespread icing could begin as early as Monday night, continuing into Tuesday and Wednesday as Arctic air locks in over the region.
Major Ice Threat Building Across the Mid-South
The latest GFS 0.25-degree model shows a corridor of significant freezing rain accumulation stretching from central Arkansas and northern Mississippi through western and central Tennessee, extending northeast across Kentucky and into southwestern Virginia.
Freezing rain amounts between 0.10 and 0.50 inches are expected across much of this zone, with locally higher totals possible in elevated terrain and cold air valleys…