Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Mississippi, January 12, 2018

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Mississippi, January 12, 2018
Start: 2018-01-12T04:00
End: 2018-01-12T15:00
Location: Mississippi

January 12, 2018 · NWS MEG · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

A potent closed upper level low tracked across the region as a powerful cold front moved through the Mid-South. A large area of heavy winter precipitation developed across the Mid-South.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.

A potent closed upper level low tracked across the region as a powerful cold front moved through the Mid-South. A large area of heavy winter precipitation developed across the Mid-South. Snow and sleet accumulations ranged from 1 to 2 inches across the northernmost counties of North Mississippi with little to the south.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 12, 3:51 AM CST, 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 12, 3:51 AM CST, 9 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 11, 10:37 PM CST, 5 hours 23 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1037 PM CST Thu Jan 11 2018

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-
MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-130645-
Alcorn-Benton MS-Benton TN-Calhoun-Carroll-Chester-Chickasaw-Clay-
Coahoma-Craighead-Crittenden-Crockett-Cross-DeSoto-Decatur-
Dunklin-Dyer-Fayette-Gibson-Greene-Hardeman-Hardin-Haywood-
Henderson-Henry-Itawamba-Lafayette-Lake-Lauderdale-Lawrence-
Lee AR-Lee MS-Madison-Marshall-McNairy-Mississippi-Monroe-Obion-
Panola-Pemiscot-Phillips-Poinsett-Pontotoc-Prentiss-Quitman-
Randolph-Shelby-St. Francis-Tallahatchie-Tate-Tippah-Tipton-
Tishomingo-Tunica-Union-Weakley-Yalobusha-
1037 PM CST Thu Jan 11 2018

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas...
the Missouri Bootheel...North Mississippi...and West Tennessee.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

A winter storm will impact the Mid South tonight with significant
accumulations of ice, sleet, and some snow. Please refer to the
latest winter storm warning and winter weather advisory products
for details.

Strong northwest winds will gust between 35 and 45 mph behind the
passage of the arctic cold front. This may result in scattered
power outages.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Winter storm conditions along with cold temperatures will continue
into Friday. Travel will be difficult through the day along with
potential power outages from ice. Use caution.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are encouraged to report any ice, sleet, and snow
accumulations to the National Weather Service office in Memphis
Tennessee.

JLH

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 12, 12:29 AM CST, 3 hours 31 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 12, 3:24 AM CST, 36 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 12, 3:49 AM CST, 11 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter weather, 6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, De Soto

When: January 12, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: De Soto forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.875, -89.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to two inches of sleet and snow.

Winter Storm, Tate

When: January 12, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Tate forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.650, -89.945 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Around one inch of sleet and snow.

Winter Storm, Marshall

When: January 12, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.762, -89.503 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to two inches of sleet and snow.

Winter Weather, Tunica

When: January 12, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Tunica forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.652, -90.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Less than one inch of sleet and snow.

Winter Weather, Quitman

When: January 12, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Quitman forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.251, -90.289 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Less than one inch of sleet and snow.

Winter Weather, Panola

When: January 12, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Panola forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.364, -89.951 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Less than one inch of sleet and snow.

Winter Weather, Lafayette

When: January 12, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Lafayette forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.357, -89.485 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Less than one inch of sleet and snow.

Winter Storm, Benton

When: January 12, 5:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Benton forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.817, -89.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to two inches of sleet and snow.

Winter Storm, Tippah

When: January 12, 7:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Tippah forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.768, -88.909 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to two inches of sleet and snow.

Winter Weather, Union

When: January 12, 7:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.491, -89.004 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Less than one inch of sleet and snow.

Winter Storm, Alcorn

When: January 12, 9:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Alcorn forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.881, -88.580 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One to two inches of sleet and snow.

Winter Weather, Prentiss

When: January 12, 9:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Prentiss forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.618, -88.520 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Less than one inch of sleet and snow.

Winter Weather, Tishomingo

When: January 12, 9:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Tishomingo forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.740, -88.239 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Less than one inch of sleet and snow.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Mississippi in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in Mississippi, January 2018

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 738080, 738081, 738082, 738094, 738095, 738096, 738097, 738083, 738084, 738098, 738085, 738099, 738100.