Live Updates: Snow blankets Memphis area from Winter Storm Izzy
As of 8:45 a.m. Sunday morning, Winter storm Izzy has left more than nearly 4, MLGW customers throughout the city without power.
Some churches local churches have moved to live streaming services.
The National Weather Service reported that West Tennessee and North Mississippi accumulated between 1-3 inches of snow.
The storm has moved out of the Memphis area to eastern parts of Shelby County. By early afternoon, the storm will have moved out of the Mid-South, making room for some sun, the NWS said.
Here are the latest updates:
Hazardous roads
As the Winter Storm Warning has been lifted over Shelby County, a Hazardous Weather Outlook still persists over west Tennessee and far northeast Mississippi due to winds and heavy wet snow. Over the remainder of the Mid-South, slushy roadways from earlier snows may produce hazardous driving conditions, NWS said. To the north of Interstate 40, slushy wet snow and standing water may freeze on bridges, creating slick spots.
The City of Memphis will be sanding and salting roads to help clear the ice.
" City roads look good right now," Arlenia Cole, spokesperson for the City of Memphis said. "We ask drivers to use caution when driving on bridges and overpasses. Division of Public Works crews will continue working throughout today spreading sand and salt as part of its de-icing. The city has over 8,000 tons of salt and sand mixture on hand for winter weather events."
Sunday afternoon outlook
Winter storm Izzy has moved out of the Memphis area, and by noon, the NWS said, the storm will have moved out of the Mid-South. Residents can look forward to a sunny afternoon with temperatures reaching around 40 degrees. Although the sun will help melt the snow, NWS warns that travel conditions may still be hazardous with slick roads.
Church services
8:30 a.m. - In light of the pandemic, some churches have already shifted to live stream services. For today's snowy day, Hope Church will be offering in-person and virtual service Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Services can be streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Mississippi Blvd Church will continue to host virtual its MLK Sunday worship at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. via Facebook Live.
Bellevue Baptist Church will not have an in-person service and will hold virtual service at 9:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. Second Presbyterian Church will be hosting a live simulcast at 11 a.m. and on Memphis radio stations 1210 AM and 103.1 FM.
How much snow did the Memphis area see?
7 a.m.: According to the National Weather Service, rain began to change to snow around 1 a.m. The Memphis metro area has reportedly received 1-2 inches of snow and is expected to add 1-2 more inches before noon. Early reports also indicated suburbs including Bartlett, Millington, Germantown, and Collierville saw between 1 and 2.3 inches of accumulated snow. Overnight wind gusts reached 26 miles per hour.
Sheena Walsh, a meteorologist at NWS Memphis said the heavy snowfall appears to be along the Tennessee-Mississippi border towards Fayette and Hardiman Counties.
What are the traffic conditions?
As East Arkansas, West Tennessee, and North Mississippi are under a Winter Storm Warning until 3 p.m., drivers are encouraged to exercise caution while on roads and highways with patches of snow and ice, causing moderate traffic delays. Traffic conditions have improved significantly, but NWS warns of slick roads.
Reported power outages
Memphis Light, Gas and Water is reporting 24 outages, affecting over 4,000 customers. The number has continued to grow over the last hour. Outages have been reported in Buntyn, Oakhaven, Whitehaven, North Memphis, Midtown, East Memphis near University of Memphis, South Memphis, Frayser, Millington, Bartlett and Germantown.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Winter Storm Izzy: Memphis prepares for snow accumulation
