Heavy Snow — Benton, Tennessee

2011-01-26 · Benton, Tennessee

Event narrative

Three to four inches of total snowfall accumulation on average occurred across the county. A newspaper reported that a 63 year old man was traveling south on Divider Natchez Trace in Benton County, about 4 miles west of Holladay, around 6 AM on Wednesday, January 26, when his 2009 Chevrolet slid off the icy roadway, struck a culvert, and overturned. The man, who was the driver and only occupant of the car, was ejected and the vehicle landed on him. He was not wearing a seatbelt. The type of vehicle and the total damage to it was unknown. This total snowfall accumulation resulted also in public and some private primary, secondary, and higher education school closures across the county on Wednesday, January 26th, along with closures or postponement of other civic engagements across the county for the remainder of that day, as travel across roads throughout the county became hazardous due to the accumulating snowfall.

Wider weather episode

A broad upper level trough moved across Middle Tennessee during the morning hours on Wednesday, January 26th. Low level moisture spread across Middle Tennessee during this time period also. Upper level flow associated with this passage become increasingly northwesterly as the event progressed, resulting in weak disturbances in upper level flow aloft also moving across the mid state during this time period. With surface temperatures also below freezing, a significant snowfall event occurred across most all of Middle Tennessee. Total snowfall accumulations ranged from one half to as much as

four inches.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 278937. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.