ROANOKE, Va. – We’re tracking a strong cold front that will produce severe weather in the Southeast Thursday.
If there’s any chance of that happening here Thursday evening, it will be south of Highway 58 where the air will be warmer.
The heaviest rain arrives in the New River Valley and Highlands between 4 and 6 p.m. - in the Roanoke Valley between 5 and 7 p.m. and in Lynchburg/Southside between 6 and 8 p.m.
Once that line clears the area, we’ll stay gusty at times with occasional showers continuing.
It takes a while for the colder air to move in from the northwest.
Once it does so, we’ll see off-and-on snow showers on the west-facing slopes. A few scattered bursts of snow/sleet will sneak east of the mountains at times Friday.
Most accumulation will be up on the west-facing slopes with a winter weather advisory in effect for some of those locations through Saturday morning.
Regardless, it will turn very windy at times with gusts of 30-45 mph becoming likely Friday in areas along and west of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
We’ll stay gusty at times heading into Saturday with highs in the 30s and 40s. Sunday will be a calmer day.
After the weekend, our next chance of rain arrives next Tuesday.
The chance for winter weather (outside of some mountain snow Friday) is minimal over the next 7 days.
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