January 1-2, 2002 Snowfall Event


snowfall analysis
Fig 1. Snowfall analysis for January 1-2, 2002. Amounts contoured every 0.5 inches.
Contour analysis by Doug Butts
(click on image to enlarge)*

...PARTS OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI WERE BRIEFLY TURNED INTO A WINTER WONDERLAND...

A DISTURBANCE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE COMBINED WITH A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE NORTHERN GULF...AND A COLD ATMOSPHERE...TO PRODUCE WINTRY PRECIPITATION ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. THE PRECIPITATION MOVED INTO THE COLUMBIA AND HATTIESBURG AREAS MID-EVENING TUESDAY...THEN SPREAD NORTHEAST ACROSS PARTS OF EAST-CENTRAL AND THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WEDNESDAY.

THE PRECIPITATION BEGAN TAPERING FROM WEST TO EAST SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE...LEAVING ONLY FLURRIES TO BE SEEN AT A FEW SPOTS THROUGH MID-MORNING. SNOW TOTALS ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI VARIED GREATLY...WITH ONLY FLURRIES REPORTED AT PLACES SUCH AS MERIDIAN AND BROOKHAVEN...TO 4.5 INCHES BETWEEN COLUMBIA AND HATTIESBURG.

HERE ARE SOME SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM AROUND THE REGION. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON THANKS OUR MANY COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS... LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN COMPILING THIS INFORMATION.

CITYCOUNTYAMOUNT
BROOKHAVENLINCOLNFLURRIES
MERIDIANLAUDERDALEFLURRIES
ENTERPRISECLARKEDUSTING
COLLINSCOVINGTON0.5 INCH
STONEWALLCLARKE0.5 - 1 INCH
SEMINARYCOVINGTON1 INCH
SANDERSVILLEJONES1.25 INCHES
BASSFIELDJEFFERSON DAVIS1.5 INCHES
BROOKLYNFORREST1.5 INCHES
SHUBUTACLARKE2 INCHES
STRINGERJASPER2 INCHES
COLUMBIAMARION2.5 INCHES
HATTIESBURGFORREST2.5 INCHES
PURVISLAMAR2.5 INCHES
LAURELJONES3 INCHES
PETALFORREST3 INCHES
SUMRALLLAMAR3 INCHES
FOXWORTHMARION4 INCHES
OLOHLAMAR4.5 INCHES

GENERALLY...THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OCCURRED FROM NEAR KOKOMO TO LAUREL...WHERE AMOUNTS WERE 3 INCHES OR GREATER. UNFORTUNATELY... WITH THE SNOW AND ICE...3 FATALITIES OCCURRED ON AREA HIGHWAYS DUE TO ICY BRIDGES. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES ICE MORE QUICKLY THAN SURFACES IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. BE SURE TO SLOW DOWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING ICY AREAS.

* Lousiana and Alabama reports courtesy of NWS Slidell, LA and NWS Mobile, AL


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