1/2 - 12:45am - Happy New Year!

Hope that everyone had an exceptional New Year's Day and that it was a nice kickoff to a great year ahead! I've been away from the blog for awhile to enjoy the holidays and take a vacation to the Caribbean, but it's just about time for things to get back to normal. I'll be heading back to Starkville, MS on Monday to start the spring semester at Mississippi State and I'll be back at work next Saturday morning at WBBJ in Jackson. From the excitement of the multiple early Ohio Valley winter storms to getting my wisdom teeth taken out (well, maybe not that), it's been a great winter break in Louisville.

Many of you I'm sure have been hearing about the aftermath from the worst severe weather outbreak on New Year's Day and Eve in recorded history. Seven fatalities have occurred due to tornadoes and strong winds that scraped across the Midwest and South, affecting states like Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The state of Mississippi was especially hard hit as a few significant tornadoes touched down in Jackson and portions of Central Mississippi. Three tornadoes have been confirmed in Mississippi so far, including one that crossed onto the property of Jackson International Airport. The National Weather Service is still conducting damage surveys, so this list of confirmed tornadoes will likely grow. Check out the details from the surveys of the three confirmed Mississippi tornadoes on the NWS Jackson website. (Picture on right is a strong velocity couplet indicating intense rotation on radar near Jackson, MS on Friday)

The weather looks pretty calm for the next few days as high pressure regains control of things in the Southeast. There could be some precipitation in the region on Wednesday and Thursday, but chances aren't looking good at this point. If two areas of low pressure phase with one another as they pass over the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, expect light snow in Indiana and rain all the way from the Ohio River to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. If they remain separate systems, any precipitation would likely stay suppressed in South Mississippi. Right now I think they will remain separate systems, meaning Kentucky and Tennessee will remain dry as we head through the middle part of the week. Regardless of whether these lows phase or not, light snow will be possible in Indiana and Kentucky next weekend as the low in the Great Lakes moves east and spreads down areas of light snowfall from the north.

Temperatures will be on their way back below normal after next weekend across much of the country and we'll have to watch for snow chances in Kentucky, Tennessee, and maybe even Mississippi/Alabama. We'll certainly have the cold air in place, but will the storms cooperate? That's the fun of meteorology!