Area Placed Under Winter Storm Warning

SHREVEPORT � Smith and surrounding counties have been placed under a winter storm warning until midnight this evening. The area could see a mixture of freezing rain and sleet. This may cause travel difficulties on area roadways, particularly on bridges and overpasses. Ice accumulations of one quarter of an inch may cause scattered power outages as power lines and trees become laden with ice.

This is how the National Weather Service in Shreveport describes it:
* EVENT…A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET…WITH SOME SNOW POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 30 CORRIDOR OF NORTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS…IS EXPECTED TODAY THROUGH EARLY EVENING. FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH…WITH HIGHER SLEET TOTALS TO NEAR ONE HALF INCH POSSIBLE NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR OF NORTHEAST TEXAS AS WELL AS SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS.

* TIMING…PRECIPITATION IS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS EARLY THIS MORNING. EXPECT THIS PRECIPITATION TO BEGIN MOVING INTO NORTHEAST TEXAS BY EARLY TO MID MORNING…WITH THE PRECIPITATION MOVING INTO NORTHWEST LOUISIANA BY MID TO LATE MORNING. TEMPERATURES ARE ALREADY NEAR TO BELOW FREEZING AND ONCE THE PRECIPITATION BEGINS…EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO FALL FURTHER INTO THE MID TO UPPER 20S.

* IMPACT…FREEZING RAIN…SLEET AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MAY CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES ON MAINLY ELEVATED BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. HEAVIER SLEET ACCUMULATIONS…MAINLY NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR OF NORTHEAST TEXAS INTO SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS COULD RESULT IN SOME SECONDARY ROADWAYS BECOMING SLIPPERY AS WELL. ICE WILL LIKELY ACCUMULATE ON POWER LINES WHICH COULD RESULT IN SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.