ROANOKE, Va – It's been a mess all Thursday. Southside has dealt with a heavy, cold rain. Roanoke City stayed just enough above freezing to mainly see a cold rain, but areas from Lynchburg and points west into the Highlands, NRV and Mountain Empire saw an icy mess.
The most ice accumulation is being observed in the New River Valley and I-77 corridor where thousands of power outages are being reported along with snapped trees and downed power lines.
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As the brunt of the precipitation comes to an end this evening, the winds will pick up. This will add additional stress to any tree limbs or power lines that may still have ice on them. This could lead to extra snapping limbs and additional power outages.
Temperatures will also dip into the 20s and low 30s tonight. It will feel much colder than that with gusty wind factored in.
If power is not restored tonight, it will get chilly inside. Use caution and be mindful with how you will stay warm tonight or even for the next couple of days.
Quieter and slightly warmer return for the weekend.