Rain, ice, and wind keep Friday busy

As soon as rain wraps up wind rushes in

ROANOKE, Va. – Be careful driving around early Friday. Showers are widespread with some ice and snow in our northern counties. The rain is light enough that you can still get out and about if need be.

Showers and some wintry mix are widespread around sunrise

Rain starts to dry up after 9:00 AM. Some showers linger in the later hours of the morning. By noon most of us are dry, and any afternoon showers are very short lived.

By noon only isolated showers are left

The system wraps moisture back around into our region late in the day. That sends some snow to our western slopes, but it’s hard for the moisture to make it over the mountains.

Some wrap-around moisture brings snow to western slopes late in the day

Rain totals are mostly below a quarter of an inch. The Highlands and Roanoke stack up a few more tenths. Any snow that falls will likely melt with temperatures above freezing both Friday and Saturday afternoon.

Rain totals are light Friday: only the NRV gets close to half an inch

Right behind Friday’s fronts high wind arrives. Winds to 20 mph with gusts to 40 mph last through tonight and into Saturday morning. When the wind pairs with cold overnight the wind chill ends up around 10 degrees below the actual temperature.

Winds pick up as soon as showers are done

The wind and mountain snow eases off as Saturday morning goes along. High pressure to our north helps us stay dry. If it were closer to us skies would be clear; instead we have mostly cloudy skies again.

High pressure keeps Saturday mostly dry, but we still have plenty of clouds

The break from the rain is short-lived. Rain comes back after sunrise on Sunday. Colder temperatures mean more wintry mix and snow is possible in the afternoon.

Sunday's system keeps rain going through some of the morning and the afternoon

As of Friday, there is sufficient cold for some widespread light snow in the early afternoon. If temperatures are just a few degrees warmer that precipitation will stay as rain. Keep checking in with us as the system develops for our latest analysis.

Light snow is possible Sunday, but temperatures even a couple degrees warmer would mean rain instead

Temperatures definitely cool behind Sunday’s system. Highs are well below average at the start of the work week. Even with warmer air later in the week we stay below average.

Once all these fronts have their say cooler air sticks around for the work week

Another system brings some showers at the end of the week. Temperatures climb slowly, but we are closer to average by the end of the week.


About the Author:

Marshall Downing presents the weather Saturday and Sunday evenings at 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM, and you can see him during the week at 12:00 PM and 5:30 PM.