Truckers will run into a winter storm in the southern Appalachians as the workweek comes to a close (for some of them). Freezing rain and heavy snowfall will make some roads risky for travel.
As of Thursday morning, the storm was spinning over the Plains, dumping snow in the Ozarks of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. The highest elevations in northern Arkansas could see accumulations of 6 inches or more in places like Eureka Springs, Harrison and Jasper along U.S. highways 62 and 65.
Other areas of northern Arkansas, as well as southern Missouri, could see 2 to 4 inches of snowfall. This includes Russellville, Bentonville and Mountain Home in Arkansas, in addition to Springfield, Missouri.
The storm will head to the southern Appalachians Thursday night through Friday, impacting portions of Interstates 26, 40 and 77. The heaviest snowfall will hit the Smokies of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for this region, where up to 8 or 9 inches of snowfall could pile up.
On the outer fringes of the system, up to 4 inches could accumulate in northeastern Georgia and southern Virginia. Precipitation could start as rain in these areas, then change to freezing rain, then snow. So, a glaze of ice could form underneath the snow cover.
Other areas of snowfall
Another snowstorm will slam the Northwest mountains late Thursday night and Friday. Some high elevations of the Cascades and northern Rockies could see up to another 12 inches of snowfall, with totals over the past week to 10 days totaling in excess of 48 inches. Look for more potential issues for truckers on I-90 and U.S. Highway 2.
A potential snowstorm could hit eastern New Mexico and Texas Sunday into next Monday. This includes the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Look for updates on the FreightWaves website and social media accounts.