Update: From the National Weather Service

A WINTER STORM IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE TOMORROW AFFECTING MAINLY AREAS OVER NORTHWESTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. HOWEVER LOCATIONS ALL ALONG THE I-65 CORRIDOR INCLUDING THE NASHVILLE METRO AREA WILL

STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE A WINTRY MIX MAINLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT.

A COLD FRONT WILL AFFECT MIDDLE TENNESSEE TODAY AND TOMORROW, BRINGING WITH IT AMPLE RAINFALL. WITH AN ARCTIC AIR MASS USHERING IN SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES BEHIND THE FRONT ON FRIDAY, ANY RAIN COULD CHANGE OVER TO A WINTRY MIX FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH RAIN WOULD CHANGE OVER TO A FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET MIX IN THE METRO NASHVILLE AREA AND NORTHERN I-65 CORRIDOR AFTER 6 PM FRIDAY. LIGHT ICE OR SLEET ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL MIDDLE TENNESSEE AFTER THE CHANGEOVER OCCURS. LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ON TREES AND POWER LINES, OR SLEET ACCUMULATIONS ON ROADWAYS COULD CAUSE POWER OUTAGES AS WELL AS HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS FRIDAY NIGHT.

ANOTHER EPISODE OF MAINLY FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED ACROSS A LARGE PART OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE SATURDAY NIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY MORNING.

RAIN WILL PUSH INTO THE AREA FROM THE SOUTH, AND WITH SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES IN PLACE AT RECIPITATION ONSET, LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS COULD OCCUR ON TREES AND POWER LINES. THE BEST

CHANCE WILL BE ROUGHLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40, ESPECIALLY HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS. ANY ACCUMULATIONS THOUGH WOULD LIKELY MELT THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON SUNDAY AS TEMPERATURES RISE ABOVE FREEZING

AND A HEAVY, YET COLD RAIN TAKES OVER.  

IT IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE THAT AREAS THAT GET FREEZING RAIN THIS WEEKEND COULD END UP WITH DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER LINES, ESPECIALLY IN PLACES THAT SEE THE FREEZING RAIN TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW.

 ANYONE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS THE MID STATE THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO ANY CHANGES IN THE FORECAST.

 Tips from the Red Cross:

1. Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing your body heat.

 2. Bring pets indoors. If they can’t come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.

 3. Protect your pipes - run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.

 4. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid a more costly repair job if your pipes freeze and burst.

 5. If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away – things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs. Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.

 6. Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.

 7. If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

 8. Use generators correctly – never operate a generator inside the home, including in the basement or garage.

 9. Don’t hook a generator up to the home’s wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator.

 10. Download the American Red Cross First Aid App for quick, expert advice on what to do in case of an emergency. This free app is available on the Apple iTunes or Google Play stores. See all Red Cross apps at redcross.org/mobileapps.