ROANOKE, Va. – Wind gusts in our area have been enough to knock out power to more than 30,000 people and cause damage to cars and homes.
At Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia, the wind was strong enough to cause lift closures earlier Sunday afternoon.
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We are undergoing some lift closures this afternoon due to high wind gusts.
— Snowshoe Mountain (@snowshoemtn) February 24, 2019
For the most up-to-date info on lifts/trails please check the snow report:https://t.co/wc3GebGZcx
It's a good thing they did too. The peak wind gust at Snowshoe wound up being 88 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Charleston, West Virginia.
A weather station a top Snowshoe Mountain measured a wind gust of 88 mph this afternoon! Another station nearby on the mountain measured a peak gust of 83 mph. #wvwx pic.twitter.com/4g6r3x5gle
— NWS Charleston, WV (@NWSCharlestonWV) February 24, 2019
If sustained, an 88 mph wind speed would be equivalent to that of a Category 1 hurricane's eye wall.
For most areas west of the Blue Ridge Parkway, winds have gusted between 40 and 60 mph Sunday.
High Wind Warnings and Advisories remain in effect for the region through midday Monday.
By Monday, we'll mainly be breezy with wind gusts not quite as strong as what we've seen Sunday afternoon.