The Daybreaker: 1/6/2025
Good morning, Scott County, and welcome to a brand-new work week. For many, this week is back to reality after an extended winter break. Here’s to making the most of it! Let’s start our week by taking a couple of minutes to catch up on what’s happening in Scott County.
This Week’s Weather
❄️ A cold blustery day with a chance of snow showers today.
Almanac: Sunrise/Sunset: 7:48/5:39 • Records: 66° (1993), -7° (1969) • YTD Rainfall: 0.2” (Normal: 1.0”).
Details: Temperatures will be dropping today, with gusty winds and a chance of snow. We'll probably still be in the 40s at 7 a.m., but temperatures will drop steadily this morning, and we'll be in the 20s by lunchtime. Temperatures will then hover in the 20s this afternoon. There's a chance of light snow showers today, but very little accumulation is expected. In fact, the National Weather Service has decreased the forecast from a 60% chance of snow to a 30% chance of snow, which seems reasonable. High-resolution models are far less bullish on snow chances today than the lower-resolution global models, and keep the bulk of the wrap-around snow showers limited to eastern Kentucky. That said, this is a pretty solid setup for northwest flow snow showers that often aren't picked up on by models. Some areas might squeeze out an inch of snow, but it seems more likely that most of us will be limited to no more than a dusting. Some minor travel inconveniences are possible if and wherever the heavier snow showers occur, but widespread road hazards aren't currently expected. Otherwise we'll drop into the teens tonight. Sunshine will begin to return tomorrow, and we'll experience sunny days Wednesday and Thursday with continued cold temperatures that feature daytime highs in the upper 20s to around 30°, and nighttime lows in the teens.
Further Out: Another winter storm is expected to impact the region this weekend. A low pressure system will work its way out of the southern Plains states on Friday and tap Gulf moisture before impacting much of Tennessee Friday and Friday night. Some runs of the GFS model are showing as much as 8-10 inches of snow for the northern plateau region. However, the GFS is very inconsistent, and it doesn't have the backing of other models. Temperatures are likely to be marginal at best, with a strong southwest flow component to this system that pulls in warmer temperatures from the Gulf. Temperatures may get into the mid 30s on Friday. You'll doubtlessly see maps floating around social media this week that show huge accumulation totals for our area, but it's way too soon to say that we're going to see significant snow accumulation. It's not a far-fetched idea; just too soon to head off to the store for milk and bread. The fine details should begin to work themselves out over the next couple of days. Stay tuned for updates. It currently looks like temperatures will remain above freezing throughout the weekend. There could be a replenishing shot of cold air on Monday, but the evolution of the pattern on the backside of the weekend storm system is uncertain.
Snow Watch: There may be additional chances for accumulating snow even beyond this weekend. The evolution of the pattern is uncertain, but as a general rule it looks like winter will be with us for at least the rest of January, although there will be some warmer days here and there.
You can find daily weather forecasts and analysis on our website, Eye to the Sky.
News Updates
• Yesterday’s winter storm, while crippling for parts of Kentucky and the Midwest, was a very minor event here in our area … which was what was expected. It caused some minor slick spots for a couple of hours Sunday morning. Otherwise, it was just a bunch of cold rain.
• The Old Cecil Cemetery, located behind the offices of Pave Grade & Aggregate (formerly Potters) in Huntsville, helps tell the early story of Scott County’s Cecil family. It was featured last week as part of the Sacred Ground series.
• This week’s meetings include Scott County Commission’s monthly work shop at 5 p.m. today at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville.
• Our first edition of VARSITY for 2025 was published yesterday, after all four basketball teams picked up wins on Friday and three players received all-state honors.
The Week Ahead
» Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.
» Monday: Scott County Commission will meet in work session at 5 p.m. at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville.
» Monday: Oneida basketball will travel to Blount County for a district game against Eagleton Academy. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. This game will not be televised.
» Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
» Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.
» Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.
» Tuesday: Oneida basketball will host Coalfield in a non-district game at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network, with the Baby J’s Pizza Pregame Report beginning at 6:15 p.m.
» Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.
» Tuesday: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Highway 27 Unity Club in Oneida at 7 p.m.. For more information: highway27unityclub.com.
» Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
» Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Thursday mornings, except on the first Thursday of the month, hours are from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.. You are eligible to receive food once per month. Operating procedures have been modified in order to comply with governmental requests for social distancing. For more information or requirements, call the church office at (423) 569-8828.
» Thursday: The Scott County Board of Education will meet at 4:30 p.m. at the Central Office in Huntsville, while the Oneida Special School District Board of Education will meet at 6 p.m. at the Central Office Training Center in Oneida.
» Thursday: Narcotics Anonymous meets at the Highway 27 Unity Club in Oneida at 7 p.m. For more information: highway27unityclub.com.
» Friday: Oneida basketball will host Austin-East for a district game at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network, beginning at 5:45 p.m. Scott High basketball will travel to Loudon for a non-district game. It will not be televised.
Have a great week! Our next newsletter will be The Weekender, published Friday morning. This week’s publications will include our regular E-Edition on Thursday, and Varsity on Sunday. — Sam Voss, IH
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