Looking ahead to Sunday snow

Scroll down for a 5 p.m. Saturday update from Chief Meteorologist Jeff Haniewich

Although snow is mostly concentrated north there's a good chance all of us get at least a few flakes

ROANOKE, Va. – Saturday’s one bump in the road is wind. Gusts reach as high as 40 mph in the morning causing some wind chills to reach the single digits. Wind speeds drop in the afternoon, and by Saturday evening winds are rather calm.

Wind makes it feel extra cold Saturday morning, but by the evening winds are much lighter

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We stay dry and calm Saturday night. Clouds keep building to make us overcast at sunrise. By 7:00 AM our first snowflakes arrive in the NRV. It takes until sunset for us to truly dry out again.

Snow and rain spread out during the morning with calmer weather late in the afternoon

This system carries moisture across most of the eastern US. Consistent cold north of us keeps Pennsylvania and Michigan snowy while the Carolinas mostly get rain. Our temperatures are very close to the freezing point meaning we get a combination of snow, ice, and rain.

Our region is on the border between rain and snow Sunday

A Winter Weather Advisory lasts through Sunday. Most snow accumulations stay between one and two inches. Some parts of the Highlands can exceed two inches.

Most of the Roanoke, Highlands, and NRV Zones are in a Winter Weather Advisory until late Sunday

Snow is limited to the NRV for the first daylight hours Sunday. There is enough warmth on the western side of this system for some wintry mix.

Snow and ice move into the NRV around sunrise

By the middle of the day snow spreads across the region. Some wintry mix is still possible at this point, but snow is more common. Be extra careful driving at any point Sunday: between the snow itself and ice from freezing rain or sleet this is one of the slippiest driving days all season.

Most of us see snow at midday

Snow pushes east by 2:00 PM. There is still plenty coming down (and the NRV is adding more ice), but coverage is not as consistent.

Western counties start to dry out at 2:00 PM

Scattered snow and rain showers are still around at 4:00 PM. We dry out in the following hours. Some ice and snow stick around through the night since temperatures start cooling at the same time our system wraps up.

By 4:00 PM snow and rain showers are broken up

Snow totals are highest in the NRV with up to or even just above two inches. A trace to one inch is more common east of I-81.

Snow totals north of US-460 can reach two inches

Some ice accumulates for most of us Sunday, but high elevations in the NRV get the most. As much as a quarter-inch of ice can build up; that much ice can weigh down branches or power lines so be prepared for some outages. Have blankets, a flashlight, and batteries on hand.

As much as a quarter-inch of ice can build in high elevations in the NRV

Once we dry out Sunday evening most of next week stays dry. Other than spotty rain or snow showers in the mountains Monday and Tuesday most of us stay dry until Friday.


A winter weather advisory has been issued for some | We’ll let you know how much snow and ice to expect coming up

Join Chief Meteorologist Jeff Haniewich for a 5 p.m. weather update:


About the Authors:

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.

Chief Meteorologist Jeff Haniewich is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m. every weekday.