A rare and dangerous winter storm has brought Mississippi to a near standstill this week, with state officials shutting down key stretches of highway and issuing urgent travel advisories as ice and snow glaze roads across the Delta and northern counties.

Residents accustomed to mild Southern winters are facing treacherous black ice, stalled traffic on major interstates and a growing number of power outages as freezing rain continues to sweep the region.

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Interstates Shut Down as Ice Halts Traffic in North Mississippi

On Wednesday, January 28, authorities in north Mississippi moved from warnings to direct intervention on the roads, ordering motorists on parts of Interstate 55 and Interstate 22 to turn around amid what officials described as extremely hazardous conditions. Local law enforcement reported that stranded vehicles and jackknifed trucks had rendered some stretches of highway effectively impassable.

Travelers north of Batesville on I-55 and north of Lake Center on I-22 were told not to proceed as wreckers and road crews worked to clear disabled cars and 18-wheelers. The Mississippi Highway Patrol and local sheriff’s offices echoed the same message: only travel if absolutely necessary, and expect sudden closures and detours even on routes that may appear drivable at first glance.

Officials cautioned that crews could not provide an immediate timeline for when full access would be restored. Temperatures hovering around or below freezing and continued light precipitation have raised fears that any brief thaw during daylight hours will refreeze quickly after sunset, re-icing bridges, overpasses and shaded sections of roadway across the region.

Delta Counties Grapple With Widespread Ice and Rare Snowfall

The Mississippi Delta, a region more familiar with humid summers and heavy rain than with winter storms, has found itself at the center of this week’s weather emergency. The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) reported ice on roads and bridges in nearly 30 counties by Tuesday night, including much of the flat, open Delta where wind-chilled air and freezing rain have combined to coat pavement, vehicles and power lines.

Counties such as Bolivar, Sunflower, Washington, and Yazoo have experienced sustained icing on bridges and elevated roadways, with reports of slick conditions even on lightly traveled rural routes. In some areas, snow has mixed with sleet to create a patchy white cover that belies the more serious danger lurking underneath: a nearly invisible sheen of ice that can send vehicles sliding with little warning.

In a scene rarely witnessed in the Delta, local news outlets reported snowplows operating along select highways, scraping away the accumulation where possible and spreading salt and slag in an attempt to keep critical corridors open. Despite these efforts, transportation officials continue to advise residents to assume that any untreated surface, especially before sunrise and after sunset, could be covered in black ice.

State Officials Urge Residents to Stay Home as Emergency Response Expands

State leaders have pressed a clear and urgent message since the storm’s onset: stay off the roads unless remaining at home poses a greater risk. Governor Tate Reeves, in an update on severe winter weather, emphasized that travel remains dangerous in dozens of counties and encouraged Mississippians to stay home, stay off the roads and stay warm as emergency crews and utility workers respond to the unfolding crisis.

As of Wednesday morning, ice was still being reported on roads and bridges in more than 30 counties, with additional damage assessments coming in from local governments across the state. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has been coordinating with county officials to open and support warming centers for residents who lose power or heat, and to collect damage reports that could support requests for federal assistance if conditions worsen.

Authorities have also urged those who must travel for essential reasons to prepare for the possibility of becoming stranded. Emergency officials recommend carrying blankets, water, snacks and a fully charged mobile phone, noting that response times may be slower than usual due to hazardous roads and high call volumes. Motorists are advised to avoid secondary and rural roads where falling limbs, downed power lines and unplowed surfaces can create additional obstacles.

Universities, Schools and Businesses Shift Operations Amid Prolonged Storm

The dangerously icy conditions have prompted widespread schedule disruptions across Mississippi, particularly in the northern half of the state. Mississippi State University moved its Starkville campus and Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville to remote operations at the start of the week, anticipating significant travel impacts for students, faculty and staff. Administrators urged anyone on campus to use extreme caution on sidewalks, stairs and parking lots, all of which have become slippery with packed snow and ice.

Dozens of K–12 school districts across north Mississippi have also closed their doors or shifted to virtual learning days, responding both to immediate safety concerns and to uncertainty over how long the storm’s effects will linger. Buses cannot safely navigate frozen backroads, and many districts lack the snow and ice removal equipment common in more northern states. For families, that has meant abrupt childcare challenges layered on top of worries about power, heat and food supplies.

Businesses across the Delta and north Mississippi have limited hours or closed altogether, particularly small retailers and restaurants that depend on drive-up traffic. In some communities, grocery stores and pharmacies have remained open on reduced schedules to serve local residents but have warned customers that supply interruptions from regional distribution centers could affect inventory if road conditions do not improve soon.

Ice Storm Warnings and a Wider Southern Winter Weather Crisis

The shutdown of Mississippi roads comes as part of a broader winter storm system that has swept across the Southern Plains and Southeast over the past week. The National Weather Service issued multiple ice storm warnings for parts of Mississippi between January 24 and 26, highlighting the risk of significant ice accumulations on roads, tree limbs and power infrastructure. Forecasters warned that a quarter inch or more of ice could form in some Delta counties, enough to snap branches and bring down lines, compounding the transportation threat with blackout risks.

This Mississippi event is one piece of a sprawling storm that has affected states from New Mexico and Texas to Tennessee and the Mid-Atlantic. Airlines have implemented travel waivers for flights into and out of southern hubs as freezing rain and snow disrupted runways and access roads. National coverage has documented hundreds of thousands of power outages across the region, fatalities tied to exposure and traffic accidents, and cascading delays for air and rail travelers whose connections pass through the storm-impacted corridor.

For Mississippi, the timing and persistence of the icing have been especially disruptive. Periods of freezing rain, interspersed with sleet and occasional snow bands, have prevented a clean melt-off and kept pavement temperatures low. With cold air expected to linger, officials anticipate that dangerous roadside conditions may continue into the latter part of the week, even if precipitation diminishes.

Black Ice, Power Outages and Stranded Vehicles Raise Safety Concerns

Beyond the visible snow and glaze on cars and trees, officials are most concerned about black ice, the thin, transparent coating that forms when melted precipitation refreezes on pavement. In Mississippi’s Delta and hill regions, many roads are not pretreated with brine or salt before winter weather, leaving them especially susceptible to overnight refreezing. Even experienced drivers can misjudge traction, particularly on bridges and overpasses that freeze before adjacent ground-level roads.

Reports from the Mississippi Highway Patrol have already highlighted multiple incidents involving stalled 18-wheelers, spinouts and minor collisions that quickly back up traffic and complicate rescue efforts. When heavy trucks lose control on inclines or exit ramps, they can block entire lanes of interstate, trapping passenger cars in worsening conditions. That reality underpins the state’s urgent plea for residents to stay home and avoid putting themselves or first responders at additional risk.

At the same time, steady ice accumulation on trees and power lines has caused scattered outages across the northern part of the state, a problem likely to grow if wind speeds increase or additional freezing rain moves through. Utility companies have positioned crews throughout the impacted counties but face the same frozen roads and bridge closures that confront everyone else. For rural customers, that can mean longer waits for restoration and heightened reliance on neighbors, churches and local shelters for warmth and support.

Travelers Reroute or Cancel Trips as Advisories Tighten

For travelers with plans to drive through Mississippi or across the broader southern corridor this week, the message from transportation officials has become steadily more restrictive. What began as cautionary advisories late last week has escalated into direct instructions to change course on specific stretches of interstate, with state troopers and local police actively turning vehicles away from the worst segments.

Many drivers heading between Memphis, Jackson and points farther south have found themselves delaying departures, rerouting far to the west or east, or abandoning trips altogether. Truck drivers in particular face difficult choices as company schedules clash with the reality of road closures and mandatory rest periods. Those who do continue are parking in safe lots as conditions deteriorate, trading tight delivery windows for the chance to avoid wrecks on glassy overpasses.

National carriers and logistics firms have alerted customers to likely delays for freight moving through the Mississippi Valley, with some diverting loads to rail or to alternative highways far from the icing zone. For time-sensitive shipments of medical supplies, food and fuel, dispatchers are engaged in constant recalculation, balancing the need to maintain supply chains with the legal and ethical imperative not to send drivers into patently unsafe conditions.

Communities Mobilize With Warming Centers and Local Assistance

As the storm’s impacts deepen, communities across Mississippi have activated a patchwork network of warming centers, church shelters and civic resources to assist those most at risk. County emergency managers have used local media and social channels to direct residents without reliable heat to city-run and county-run facilities, many of them located in community centers, schools or armories equipped with backup power.

Volunteer groups and faith-based organizations are checking on elderly neighbors, delivering blankets and nonperishable food, and helping families navigate transportation hurdles when medical appointments or dialysis treatments cannot be postponed. In the Delta, where economic hardship and limited public transportation are already chronic concerns, the added stress of a multiday ice event has underscored how vulnerable many residents are to even short-term disruptions.

Officials continue to stress that the safest place for most people remains their own homes, as long as they have heat, food and a way to communicate. Even visits to warming centers, they note, should be planned carefully and coordinated if possible with local authorities, especially after dark when black ice is most prevalent and visibility is limited by freezing fog or lingering snow showers. With forecasts suggesting that subfreezing temperatures will persist for at least another day in much of north Mississippi, the emphasis for communities is on endurance and neighbor-to-neighbor support until roads can be safely reopened and normal travel patterns resume.