ROANOKE, Va. – Following days of rain and drizzle, Thursday morning starts with patches of dense fog. That will gradually clear throughout the morning, paving the way for a mild day - especially outside of the mountains.
Don’t get too used to that, though.
An area of low pressure swirls overhead Friday, leading to a few rain/snow showers north of the Roanoke Valley. Accumulation is unlikely below the 3,000 foot level.
As this system drifts east, we’ll be left on the back side of it. The air rises up the mountains, leading to west-slope snow late Friday into Saturday.
A few flurries/streaky snow showers may make it beyond those slopes, but accumulation looks unlikely south of Interstate 81.
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The weather calms by New Year’s Eve, but you’ll have to bundle up if you plan on ringing in the new year outside.
With cold air in place, we’ll keep a close eye on a storm that tries to develop in the Eastern U.S.
At the moment, forecast data is struggling to make it happen.
Chances of rain and snow late January 1 and January 2 are low for now, but if two pieces of energy can mesh together - that may change.