ROANOKE, Va. – Our quick-moving mix of snow, sleet and rain will continue to move north and east throughout the morning. Between 8 and 10 a.m., the precipitation will come to an end as drier air moves in from the west.
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Even still, snow-covered roads could be an issue throughout the first half of the day. That’s especially the case in areas near and west of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The difference between this week and last week is that we’ve had warmer air and a little rain preceding this event. With sunshine and above-freezing temperatures Sunday afternoon, we expect a decent amount of melting to occur for those that do see any accumulation. Once that refreezes on some side streets, however, we expect some schedule changes to occur for Monday.
The wind this time won’t be as bad. Gusts will peak between 15 and 25 mph once the precipitation moves east. So, we don’t think that will be enough to warrant significant power outages.
We’re bone dry once the Super Bowl kicks off Sunday evening, with temperatures above freezing. By halftime, the temperature will likely dip below freezing in the higher elevations. We’re all below freezing by the 4th quarter, which means some side streets could be icy.
Monday starts with temperatures in the teens and lower 20s, which could keep things slick on side roads that have seen snow. By the afternoon, we’re in the 30s and 40s. We’ll see a rise in temperatures Tuesday, before temperatures fall again Wednesday.
By Thursday, we’ll have to watch the exact track of another storm system. If it’s farther northwest, that will pull in warmer air and keep things mainly as a cool rain later on. If it tracks farther south, that will allow the opportunity for cold air to stay wedged at the surface. That would create more of a freezing rain threat.
Beyond that, colder air continues to drop from the north. With the storm track still active to our south, that could mean more wintry weather by Valentine’s Day or shortly thereafter.
Stay tuned for updates, as the pattern stays relatively active over the next week or so.
