ROANOKE, Va. – We are tracking a storm that’s prompted winter weather alerts for Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
It’s not until after sunset, however, that we expect the bulk of any precipitation to move in. This may start as rain along and east of the Parkway. Colder air is being drawn into the higher elevations, meaning snow may start as soon as 8 p.m. in the New River Valley.
Recommended Videos
Recent forecast data indicates that we’ll have a stronger storm to the south, drawing in some colder air Wednesday night. This would indicate a little more snow than what was previously forecast. The worst of this happens late at night into early Thursday morning (10 p.m. to 3 a.m.).
Between 4 and 7 a.m., the snow quits falling.
The best chance of seeing 2″ or more of snow will be in the New River Valley and the Mountain Empire. Outside of that, you could see anywhere from a trace farther north to as much as 2″ farther south.
It will be very cold, especially with the wind blowing. It’s likely that we see at least some schedule changes for area school systems Thursday morning. Snow-covered roads will be a concern, especially since the wind will be blowing around. That wind, along with a saturated ground, could lead to a few power outages as well.
While Thursday will be dry with increasing sun, looks will definitely deceive you. The wind may gust between 30 and 45 mph at times, with highs only in the 30s and lower 40s. That will put our wind chills in the teens and 20s even as we head into the afternoon.
Some slick spots may still be around Friday morning, but we expect that the weather will remain dry through Saturday. By Sunday, however, it’s possible we see a winter storm. Cold air is in place, while another storm system rides in from the west.
If that system is quicker and farther north, we’ll start with snow/a mix and transition to rain. If the storm is farther south and slower, then we could be looking at a wintry mess Sunday into Monday morning.
Make sure you download our app, so you are alert to all the changes we’re tracking in this week’s upcoming pattern.