Mix It January 15, 2013

Wintry mix for many locations today. Therefore, WWAdvisories posted, generally south of Louisville.

Things to think about...

NAM radar shows mostly rain, with freezing rain/sleet along the Ohio river.
This seems to contradict with forecast surface temps, especially south of Louisville.
For Louisville, NAM suggests liquid equivalent of 0.18". Sounds excessive.
According to upper air forecasts, the freezing point will be right over Louisville (how many times have we seen that?); therefore, any precipitation that falls will be a mix of rain and sleet. Surface temps look to be near the freezing mark.
I think main roads should be okay here in Louisville. The usual bridges and overpasses along with secondary roadways could receive a slight glazing at best. However, this does not appear to be a significant event.
Temperatures will need to be monitored, though.
Don't know if WWAdvisory will be posted for Louisville. It will be a close call. Still, exercise caution, regardless.

The way I see it, you already know the forecast. Areas NOT under the WWAdvisory can still expect a mix of sleet and possible freezing rain. Therefore, treat the situation as if we were under the Advisory. If you know that you're running low on gas, you don't need to wait for the gas light to come on to get gas. Similarly, you know there will be a wintry mix for some, which requires caution when driving. You don't need to wait for the NWS to issue an Advisory to decide if you're going to drive with caution.

HPC Freezing Rain Probability Jan 15-16

MS