Calm, chilly weather precedes rain, freezing rain threat Thursday

Freezing rain could make for a slippery commute in parts of the area Thursday morning

ROANOKE, Va. – Clouds have re-entered the area early Tuesday morning, but should give way to a partly cloudy sky by the afternoon. Regardless, we’ll be chilly with highs in the 40s. That will also be the case Wednesday with increasing clouds and eventual rain showers by the afternoon.

High temperature forecast through Wednesday, 12/14/2022

Our storm starts as all rain Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night.

Rain moves in Wednesday afternoon and evening

Come early Thursday morning, pockets of freezing rain will develop along and to the west of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This will likely make for a slippery morning commute in at least parts of the area.

Freezing rain possible along and west of the Parkway heading into Thursday morning

From midday onward, temperatures rise above freezing bringing an end to our icing threat.

Turning drier in time for the evening commute Thursday

Highest ice totals of .1″ or more will be around Bent Mountain and in areas closer to Interstate 64. A glaze of ice to maybe a tenth of an inch will be possible in areas east of I-77 in the New River Valley as well as other places close to the Blue Ridge.

Ice accumulation forecast for Thursday, 12/15/2022

While we’re not school superintendents, it’s possible that schedule changes occur Thursday. Power outages will be isolated and mainly confined to areas north of I-64 (Bath and Highland) where 0.25″ of ice or more will be possible.

Winter weather threats for Thursday, 12/15/2022

We’ll warm up Friday under a mix of clouds and sun before colder air rushes in for the weekend. Any snow showers will target the west-facing slopes heading into Saturday.

Forecast for the weekend of 12/16 to 12/18/2022

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About the Author

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.