Governor Declares State Of Preparedness For Winter Storm

As West Virginia residents brace for a weekend of winter weather, Gov. Jim Justice has declared a state of preparedness for all 55 West Virginia counties.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has placed much of “central, northeast, northern and southeast West Virginia” under winter storm warnings and advisories until midday Saturday.

According to the NWS, regions of the state could receive between 3 and 12 inches of snowfall, and heavy winds traveling up to 45 miles per hour.

Simone Lewis, a meteorologist at the NWS Charleston office, said the storm is “quick moving,” and will likely affect mountainous areas in the eastern part of the state most severely.

In particular, Tucker, Pocahontas, Preston and Randolph counties could receive “6 to 10 inches of snow with locally higher amounts of up to a foot,” she said. “That is through late tonight or early tomorrow morning.”

Lewis added that less mountainous areas have already experienced 1 to 3 inches of snowfall, which comprises most of the snow expected for those regions.

Beyond just snow, West Virginia will face “colder temperatures taking hold across the state” through Sunday, Lewis said.

In response to winter weather forecasts, Justice declared a state of preparedness statewide Thursday. Under the declaration, West Virginia Emergency Management Division staff are placed on standby for emergency response needs. State emergency response funds and resources also become available during the state of preparedness.

“A significant winter storm event followed by dangerous wind chills and other adverse weather events is likely to impact the entirety of the state of West Virginia,” Justice’s declaration read.

Meanwhile, much of the state is already under a NWS winter weather advisory. Lewis said this indicates that forecasted weather could create “at least minor disruptions to life or safety.”

“Mostly, we’re worried about travel disruptions. Slick roads, reduced visibilities, things like that,” she said. “So, in other words, nothing too terribly life threatening, yet something people need to be aware of and make sure that they take precautions.”

The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) has prepared about 1,000 snowplows for round-the-clock use for Friday and Saturday, according to a Friday press release. WVDOT crews have also treated roads around the state with salt to reduce ice buildup.

“Any available equipment is out,” said Earl Gaskins, WVDOT regional manager for the state’s north central region, in the press release. “We’ve got 25,000 tons of salt stockpiled.”

Meanwhile, several mountainous counties that the NWS expects to be hardest hit have been placed under winter storm warnings, a more severe status that indicates a “higher confidence of significant threats to life and or property,” Lewis said.

As of Friday at approximately noon, portions of Barbour, Fayette, Grant, Greenbrier, Monongalia, Nicholas, Pendleton, Preston, Pocahontas, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker, Upshur and Webster counties had been placed under NWS winter storm warnings.

Risks for these areas include “more disruptions to life, more hazardous travel, and the possibility of trees coming down, [or] tree damage from the snow and the wind,” she said.

For up-to-date information on the winter storm and other weather-related advisories in West Virginia, Lewis said members of the public can visit their region’s National Weather Service office website, and look at the regional office’s social media pages on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.

“All the information will be there, including if there’s any winter weather advisories or warnings out,” she said.