ROANOKE, Va. – 9:10 p.m. Weather Update:
We started the week with bitter cold and snow, and that’s how some of us will end the week as well. Though Thursday will be seasonable with highs in the 40s, an incoming cold front will change that.
We’ll go zone-by-zone to break down what you can expect to see.
COLOR TABLE: Pink = 2-4″+ of snow, blue = Coating to 2″ of snow and white = Less than 1″ of snow.
Highlands
This is arguably where the most snow will be Thursday night. We’ve given the start time as 5 to 8 p.m., but it looks like most forecast data is leaning toward the back half of that frame. Heavy banding of snow is possible in parts of the Highlands, resulting in totals of mostly 3 to 5″ north of I-64.
New River Valley
Much like the Highlands, we’ve given the start time for the New River Valley as 5 to 8 p.m. as well. Dry air at the beginning of that time frame may push things back to the second half of that. Snow totals will be on the order of 2-4″ for areas in the pink. The closer to Highway 58 and 221 you get, the lesser your totals will be. This is due to some rain/sleet at the beginning and a shorter period of snow.
Roanoke Valley
The Roanoke Valley may start with a brief period of rain and sleet before changing to all snow later in the evening (closer to 8 or 9 p.m.). Some heavy pockets will be possible, especially in some higher elevations like Bent Mountain, Catawba and Bradshaw. We’re mostly looking at a coating to 2″ of fresh snow, but leaning toward the low-to-middle end of that range due to the day’s dry air.
Lynchburg Area
The Lynchburg area is expected to see much less snow than we did with Monday’s storm. Snow (if any) arrives later. You too may start with a brief period of rain and sleet. Determining the cutoff between nothing and a little bit and nothing is tough.
Southside
Southside won’t see nearly as much snow as it did Monday morning. Like Lynchburg, the reasoning behind that is any snow (if any) will start later (11 p.m. or midnight) and be very brief. This part of the area likely sees more rain.
After the Storm
Slick and snow-covered roads are the main concern Thursday night into Friday morning. Power outages are possible once the wind picks up.
Once this system passes east, the wind picks up and Arctic air moves in. It’s going to be frigid first thing Friday morning. Wind chills may fall below zero in some of our higher elevations.
Afternoon temperatures Friday will only make it into the 20s across much of the area, which means Friday could be one of the coldest days we’ve had in 2-3 years.
Saturday is sunny but cold. Sunday starts cold with a storm system to the west. Ahead of that, the wind from the south puts temperatures in the 40s. While we could see a brief period of freezing rain north of I-64 Sunday, most of the precipitation that falls comes as rain.
We turn colder and windy again by early next week.