Ice Storm — Obion, Tennessee

2009-01-26 to 2009-01-28 · Obion, Tennessee

Event narrative

One inch of ice fell across Obion County. Widespread power outages occurred. Roads were impassable. Three injuries occurred from auto accidents.

Wider weather episode

The combination of abundant moisture, a low pressure system moving through the region, and cold air at the surface caused an ice storm to occur over Northwest Tennessee. Most of the precipitation fell in the form of freezing rain. Toward the end of the event, precipitation changed briefly to sleet and snow. Significant ice accumulations occurred with Lake and Obion Counties being the hardest hit. One to two inches of ice fell across Northwest Tennessee in addition to one inch of snow. A quarter of an inch of ice along with two inches of snow fell across counties stretching from Lauderdale to Carroll. Less than an inch of snow fell across the rest of West Tennessee. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down from the ice storm. Some counties lost anywhere from seventy to one hundred percent of their power during the peak of the storm. This occurred mainly across extreme Northwest Tennessee. Roads were very hazardous to travel and many accidents occurred as a result. Two deaths occurred from the storm. One death was the result of carbon monoxide poisoning while the other was from the inability to refill an oxygen tank due to the extensive power loss.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 148740. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.