Power has already been cut and a 50-mile stretch of I-44 was shut down inOklahoma due to severe icing. Lawton, Mangum, and Hobart, Okla. were amongareas that got up to an inch of ice accumulation. Snow will pile up on top ofareas in Oklahoma that had freezing rain into Thursday night.The greatest damage from the buildup of ice will reach from central Arkansasthrough southern Tennessee today. Power outages are the main concern here, andonce they happen, electricity may not be restored for an extended period.
There is a concern for treacherous roads and sidewalks, as well as falling treebranches, which could be widespread in the hardest-hit areas.
Freezing rain occurs when raindrops freeze upon impact with the ground, trees,power lines and other cold surfaces. This happens when there is a mild layer ofair at a few thousand feet, while the air at the ground is still belowfreezing.
Sleet, on the other hand, occurs when cold air at the ground is somewhatdeeper, and the raindrops freeze before impact. In regard to travel and damagepotential, freezing rain is by far the worst of the two.
Story by AccuWeather.com Meteorologists John Kocet and Meghan Evans.
