Winter weather hits Memphis — and more is on the way

Corinne S Kennedy, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·3 min read

A new wave of winter weather started its sweep through the Mid-South late Monday night, leaving the area coated in a thin layer of ice Tuesday morning. About one-tenth of an inch of ice had accumulated in many places across the Metro area and more ice, along with the possibility of sleet, freezing rain or snow flurries, was expected into Wednesday.

The area remains under an ice storm warning and winter weather advisory until noon Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. NWS Meteorologist Caitlin Dirkes said how far temperatures drop will determine the precipitation mix, which will greatly impact driving conditions.

"The temperatures are kind of the big question," Dirkes said. "Temperatures have been trending colder, and if that continues we will probably actually see a little more sleet mixed in which would lower ice totals but raise sleet totals, which would actually be much worse for the roads. So really keeping a big eye on temperatures right now."

Ice blankets over Memphis and the Mid-South on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. Trees along S. Main Street were covered in ice early Tuesday morning.
Ice blankets over Memphis and the Mid-South on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. Trees along S. Main Street were covered in ice early Tuesday morning.

She added that some areas north of Memphis had already gotten a quarter inch of ice early Tuesday morning. In Memphis, the crystalline stuff hung from trees and clung to statues. It coated cars and photos of it blanketed social media. And it caused a lot of disruptions.

Memphis weather: Live updates on ice storm, power outages, closures and more

Schools closed, roads messy, flights delayed

Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the six municipal school districts in Shelby County and DeSoto County Schools were all closed Tuesday.

Southwest Tennessee Community College shifted to fully virtual Tuesday due to the weather, while Rhodes College canceled classes and Christian Brothers University closed its campus. The University of Memphis closed all Shelby County locations and the Lambuth campus in Jackson.

Outages across Shelby County meant more than 4,000 customers were without power as of 9:30 a.m., according to Memphis Light, Gas and Water. That had dropped to 1,509 customers by 11 a.m., but with more winter weather bearing down.

Ice blankets over Memphis and the Mid-South on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. Ice covers all the trees at Overton Park.
Ice blankets over Memphis and the Mid-South on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. Ice covers all the trees at Overton Park.

Authorities cautioned of ice on roadways and bridges and multiple crashes were reported along Interstate 40 and in the area of the Interstate 55 and South Third Street interchange. NWS advised that freezing rain is the most dangerous type of winter weather to drive in and authorities asked people not to go out if they don't have to until the storm passes.

Memphis International Airport saw multiple flight cancellations and delays, both on inbound and outbound flights.

City of Memphis Municipal Courts were closed, and the VA closed its outpatient clinics. The Memphis Public Library tightened hours, the Germantown Public Library closed for the day and numerous Memphis restaurants were closed or altered their hours.

'A wintry mess'

What the NWS called “a wintry mess” early Tuesday morning will continue on into Wednesday, but by Wednesday morning, Memphis is projected to be through the worst of it.

Downtown Memphis and Beale Street were empty and cold on Jan. 31, 2023, as trees were covered with ice after a winter storm dropped temperatures into the 20s.
Downtown Memphis and Beale Street were empty and cold on Jan. 31, 2023, as trees were covered with ice after a winter storm dropped temperatures into the 20s.

By the end of the storm on Wednesday, the NWS is projecting the Memphis area will have gotten between a quarter and a half inch of ice. Freezing rain and sleet were expected overnight and into early Wednesday morning.

However, precipitation will tail off as Wednesday goes on, and temperatures are expected to rise somewhat, with most of the metro area seeing highs in the mid to high 30s. That warming will bring liquid, rather than frozen, precipitation as the week progresses.

“Temperatures warm slightly for Wednesday afternoon through Thursday, resulting in mainly rain across much of the area with drying conditions Friday through the weekend,” according to an NWS forecast.

Corinne S Kennedy covers economic development, real estate and healthcare for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Corinne.Kennedy@CommercialAppeal.com

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis weather: Ice storm warning still in effect after wintry blast