ROANOKE, Va. – The powerful storm system that we’ve been tracking since last week is moving through the area Monday morning. It’s already brought rounds of heavy rain, but these rounds will turn less numerous throughout the day.
A strong storm or two cannot be ruled out between 9 a.m. and Noon east of US 29, provided that the air warms a bit.
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We turn drier by the afternoon, as we’ll be on the west side of the system. This is the colder side, however, meaning that snow will begin piling up on the west-facing slopes above the 4,000 foot level Monday afternoon.
This continues into the night and through much of the day Tuesday, with a few flurries and snow showers making it over the mountains Tuesday morning.
Accumulation favors the west-facing slopes, like Whitetop, Burkes Garden, Mountain Lake, Blue Grass, Rainelle, Quinwood and Snowshoe. IF there’s any accumulation in the New River Valley, it would be light and mostly west of I-77. Many of us hoping for a winter wonderland will be very disappointed.
The main thing for the rest of us will be the wind that follows the rain Monday afternoon through Tuesday. Wind speeds will be anywhere from 10 to 25 mph sustained with gusts of 30-45 mph. This, on top of a wet ground, could lead to sporadic power outages and/or tree damage.
Make sure to weigh down any Christmas inflatables too!
By Tuesday morning, this wind will have an affect on how things feel. The wind chill may fall into the teens for parts of the New River Valley and Highlands and 20s for the Roanoke Valley.
Once the wind calms down Wednesday and high pressure regains control, temperatures will return closer to average and stay there through the rest of the week.