Dave Mistich Published

Wintry Weekend Forecasted for Eastern Panhandle, Central & Southern West Virginia

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Wintry weather is expected to bring snow and possibly sleet over the course of the weekend, according to advisories posted by the National Weather Service and their outposts around the region.

Their Charleston office has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Randolph and Pocahontas counties from Saturday, December 14 at 4 a.m. to Sunday, December 15 at 1 a.m.

* HAZARD TYPES…ACCUMULATING SNOW AT THE ONSET…CHANGING TO   FREEZING RAIN. * ICE ACCUMULATIONS…ONE TO TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH. * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…2 TO 4 INCHES. * TIMING…SNOW WILL BEGIN LATE TONIGHT AND WILL TRANSITION TO   SLEET THEN FREEZING RAIN DURING THE AFTERNOON ON SATURDAY. * IMPACTS…ACCUMULATING SNOW ON UNTREATED SURFACES WILL MAKE   DRIVING HAZARDOUS. THE TRANSITION TO FREEZING RAIN WILL FURTHER   COMPLICATE MATTERS WITH ICE BUILDING UP ON ALL SURFACES. THIS   MAY BRING DOWN SMALL BRANCHES FROM TREES AND WILL COULD MAKE   WALKWAYS DANGEROUS AS WELL. POWER OUTAGES MAY OCCUR DUE TO ICE   ACCUMULATING ON POWER LINES. * WINDS…SOUTH 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH. * TEMPERATURES…IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S.  

The Eastern Panhandle is also being asked to be on the lookout for hazardous weather. The National Weather Service’s operation in Sterling, Virginia says to be prepared for snow, sleet, and freezing rain. The Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 5 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday for Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, Tucker, Mineral counties.

A previously issued Winter Storm Watch is no longer in effect.

* ACCUMULATIONS…4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET. THE HIGHEST   ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE NEAR THE MASON-DIXON LINE. AROUND ONE   TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE.   * TIMING…SNOW WILL BEGIN EARLY SATURDAY MORNING AND CONTINUE   THROUGH THE DAY. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO MIX WITH AND THEN CHANGE TO   SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN SATURDAY EVENING.   * TEMPERATURES…MID TO UPPER 20S LATE TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL   RISE INTO THE UPPER 20S AND LOWER 30S SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY   NIGHT.   * WINDS…NORTHEAST 5 TO 10 MPH LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY THEN   BECOMING NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH SATURDAY NIGHT.   * IMPACTS…ROADS WILL BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY SATURDAY.   FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE ICY CONDITIONS SATURDAY NIGHT. TRAVEL   WILL BE DANGEROUS DURING THIS TIME.  

And parts of southern West Virginia can also expect hazardous weather conditions, according to the National Weather Service’s Blacksburg, Virginia office.