Strong wind gusts Thursday; wintry weather possible Saturday

ROANOKE, Va. – Parts of Lynchburg, Southside and the New River Valley start Wednesday morning with pockets of dense fog. This may take a few hours to clear out, but we’ll still be cloudy by the afternoon. A cold front sweeping through may spark some hit-or-miss showers with a few nighttime rumbles of thunder possible in the mountains.

Once this front passes, the wind will start to pick up Thursday and becoming strongest during the afternoon.

This may result in a few power outages and downed limbs. Make sure you also weigh down any lightweight or empty trash cans. Lastly, keep two hands on the wheel especially on I-81, I-77 and US-220.

The wind will help blow in some bone-dry air that settles in through Friday. This dry air may actually delay the start time to any wintry precipitation Saturday. As cooler air gets wedged into the area, things will start as a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain Saturday before changing to rain Saturday night.

Because our storm system is so far north, it won’t be driving a ton of Gulf moisture into the region. The delayed start time in precipitation may also narrow the window for wintry precipitation as well. This leads us to believe that this event will be more of a nuisance in areas west of the Parkway Saturday afternoon and evening, rather than a crippling storm.

Beyond Saturday, we’ll see the wind become strong at times again Sunday. A reinforcing shot of cold air comes in for Martin Luther King Day, and this one means business.

Highs next Monday and Tuesday will only be in the 30s, with some locations in the NRV an Highlands not making it above freezing. Lows at night will drop into the teens for many of us.