• 54°
franklin county times

Rare winter storm drops snow in Mississippi

By Staff
LET IT SNOW Tina Jasper clears snow that fell on playground equipment at Small World day care in Quitman this morning. While it wasn't expected to stick for very long, parts of East Central Mississippi and West Central Alabama woke today to a snow-covered winter wonderland. Photo by Steve Swogetinsky / The Meridian Star
From staff and wire reports
Jan. 2, 2002
A rare South Mississippi snow storm left about 3 inches in Hattiesburg, about 1 inch in Laurel and a dusting in other cities that included Quitman.
From Meridian north, nothing fell not even rain in a storm that caused dozens of accidents and left two people dead on state highways.
The snow, in some cases mixed with sleet and freezing rain, was spawned from an upper level system in the lower Mississippi valley region and a surface low system over the western Gulf of Mexico.
Forecasters said the low pressure system would move east toward Florida through tonight.
The state Highway Patrol reported that parts of Interstate 59, U.S. 49 and U.S. 98 in were covered in snow and ice. State workers were pouring sand on bridges in Hattiesburg and Laurel.
Heather Sullivan, a dispatcher with the Mississippi Highway Patrol's Hattiesburg office, said one of the two highway deaths occurred on I-59 in Lamar County. The second was on Mississippi 537 in Jones County.
Both occurred this morning in the snow but that's about all the information we have at this point,'' Sullivan said, adding that the names of the victims were being withheld.
In Brookhaven, Highway Patrol dispatcher James Lambert said there had been some snow accumulation in the Magnolia and Osyka areas near the Mississippi-Louisiana line.
We've got some icing on bridges but the roads are open,'' Lambert said. I got a call about an accident on U.S. 98 at the Bogue Chitto Water Park so it's slippery out there.
The good news is it looks like we've got about all the snow we're going to get,'' he said. At least I hope that anyway.''
Sullivan said her office had received reports of some 35 accidents in the Hattiesburg area between 4 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. today.
She said the southbound lane of busy U.S. 49, which connects central Mississippi to Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast, had been closed for a time just south of Mississippi 42 in northern Lamar County.
Snow began in the Hattiesburg area Tuesday night and by 10 p.m. about an inch of snow had accumulated.
The weather service continued a hard freeze warning for tonight in South Mississippi. Highs today were to be in the 30s around the state with lows dropping into the teens and 20s in most areas.
Most sunny skies were expected in the state Thursday.

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x