NWS Jackson, MS January 1-2, 2002 Snow

January 1-2, 2002 Snowfall Event

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.

CITY	COUNTY	AMOUNT
BROOKHAVEN	LINCOLN	FLURRIES
MERIDIAN	LAUDERDALE	FLURRIES
ENTERPRISE	CLARKE	DUSTING
COLLINS	COVINGTON	0.5 INCH
STONEWALL	CLARKE	0.5 - 1 INCH
SEMINARY	COVINGTON	1 INCH
SANDERSVILLE	JONES	1.25 INCHES
BASSFIELD	JEFFERSON DAVIS	1.5 INCHES
BROOKLYN	FORREST	1.5 INCHES
SHUBUTA	CLARKE	2 INCHES
STRINGER	JASPER	2 INCHES
COLUMBIA	MARION	2.5 INCHES
HATTIESBURG	FORREST	2.5 INCHES
PURVIS	LAMAR	2.5 INCHES
LAUREL	JONES	3 INCHES
PETAL	FORREST	3 INCHES
SUMRALL	LAMAR	3 INCHES
FOXWORTH	MARION	4 INCHES
OLOH	LAMAR	4.5 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