North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee Face Possible Major Ice Storm as Arctic Air and Gulf Moisture Collide

UNITED STATES — A potentially significant winter storm is increasingly likely to develop somewhere across the southern and eastern United States between Friday, January 23 and Sunday, January 25, with dangerous ice accumulation possible across parts of the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Lower Mississippi Valley as Arctic air collides with Gulf moisture.

While this system is still several days away and exact impacts remain uncertain, the overall pattern is increasingly concerning, especially for the Southeast and portions of the Mid-Atlantic.

A Textbook Ice Storm Pattern Is Developing Across the South

Forecast data shows a strong Canadian high-pressure system plunging southward into the central and eastern United States. This high pressure will force sub-freezing air deep into the Lower 48, including areas that don’t often experience prolonged cold.

At the same time, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico is expected to surge northward. When this warm, moist air rides up and over the shallow layer of cold air at the surface — a process known as overrunning — precipitation often falls as freezing rain instead of snow.

This exact combination is one of the most reliable ways to produce major ice storms, particularly across the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.

Why Ice Is a Bigger Threat Than Snow

Unlike snowstorms, ice storms can cripple regions quickly with relatively small amounts of precipitation.

Forecast discussions indicate that some areas could see over half an inch of ice accretion if the worst-case scenario verifies. That level of icing is more than enough to:

Snap tree branches and topple trees
Pull down power lines
Cause widespread and prolonged power outages
Make roads impassable for days

Travel during an ice storm is often impossible, and emergency response can be severely limited once icing begins.

Where the Greatest Risk May Set Up

At this point, meteorologists stress that the exact ice corridor is still unknown. Ice storms tend to form in narrow, high-impact bands, and small shifts in temperature — even by one or two degrees — can dramatically change outcomes.

However, current model guidance highlights a broad risk zone stretching from:

Eastern Texas and Arkansas
Through Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee
Into Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina

This region aligns closely with areas prone to cold-air damming (CAD) east of the Appalachians, a setup that often locks cold air in place and increases freezing rain potential, especially in the Carolinas.

Timing: Why It’s Still Too Early for Exact Details

Forecasters emphasize that this is still a long-range outlook, meaning specifics like exact snowfall totals, ice amounts, or city-by-city impacts cannot yet be determined.

Here’s how forecast confidence typically evolves:

7–10 days out: Pattern recognition only — no impact details
5–7 days out: Trends begin to matter more than individual model runs
3–5 days out: Rain vs snow vs ice questions become clearer
1–3 days out: Amounts, locations and travel impacts come into focus

Right now, the storm sits firmly in the “possible but concerning” category.

What Residents Should Do Now

If you live anywhere in the highlighted Southern or Southeastern states, this is not a time to panic — but it is a time to stay aware.

Early preparedness steps may include:

Monitoring daily forecast updates
Checking emergency supplies and non-perishable food
Ensuring flashlights, batteries and backup power options are ready
Avoiding unnecessary travel plans late next week until confidence improves

Bottom Line

The pattern strongly supports the potential for a significant ice storm somewhere across the South and Southeast
Uncertainty remains high, especially regarding exact placement
Details will change, possibly multiple times, before the event
There is no reason to panic, but this is not a setup to ignore

We are entering an active winter weather pattern, meaning more opportunities — and more false alarms — are likely in the weeks ahead. Forecast confidence will sharpen as the system draws closer.

Stay tuned, stay flexible, and remember: long-range forecasts are about awareness, not alarms.

For continued weather updates and regional impacts, follow ongoing coverage at ChicagoMusicGuide.com.