Motorists brave the sleet and icy conditions along Northside Drive in Jackson Monday morning. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Several major interstates and highways in Mississippi are backed up or iced over following this week’s historic winter storm, and officials are warning Mississippians to stay off the roads as another round of weather approaches the state.

“Please stay home. Please check on neighbors. Please pray for our first responders, utility and road crews out working to keep us safe. God bless, Mississippi,” Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted on Tuesday morning.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation on Tuesday morning reported extreme back-ups on Interstate 20, a major interstate running across the state. The Mississippi Highway Patrol reported Tuesday morning that they’ve responded to 695 weather-related service calls since the winter weather began on Feb. 14.

Temperatures are not expected to reach above freezing for much of the state on Tuesday. Another round of winter weather accumulations are expected for many areas in the north half of the state on Wednesday through Thursday.

Power companies report that at least 6,000 Mississippians are without electricity Tuesday morning. Energy officials have asked Mississippians to conserve power if possible as demand for electricity in the record low temperatures remains high.

“One more reminder tonight that conserving electricity in the coming hours will help preserve our electric supply system as temps plummet and we see historic peak usage in some areas,” tweeted Brandon Presley, the northern district public service commissioner. “Taking your thermostat down to 68 or below, shutting off excess lights, etc. will be a big help!”


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Adam Ganucheau, as Mississippi Today's editor-in-chief, oversees the newsroom and works with the editorial team to fulfill our mission of producing high-quality journalism in the public interest. Adam has covered politics and state government for Mississippi Today since February 2016. A native of Hazlehurst, Adam has worked as a staff reporter for AL.com, The Birmingham News and The Clarion-Ledger and his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Adam earned his bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Mississippi.