Photo: George Flickinger/WSET
From the National Weather Service in Blacksburg: Winter Storm Warning in effect for Saturday along the Blue Ridge. Winter Weather Advisory in effect elsewhere for Saturday. Winter precipitation will spread across the region from the southwest beginning after midnight tonight.
From Chief Meteorologist George Flickinger at ABC 13 - WSET:
SATURDAY'S PRECIPITATION TYPES: brief snow <>> sleet, freezing rain <>> rain <>> then possibly light snow.
TIMING: You could awaken to sleet hitting your windows before Saturday sunrise and if you are hearing sleet, your brief window for snow has already ended. Precip moves out near dinner time. We do have a brief snow chance just before precip ends.
SNOW: Let’s say we overachieve, and we actually do receive 1” of snow Saturday morning— it’s gone by afternoon due to the rain melting it.
MEASURABLE SNOW: The mountains, then toward and north of Lexington. Harrisonburg is around 5". I’m thinking 2" to 3" for Wintergreen in Nelson County. Mountains near Roanoke can get a couple of inches, too.
SLIPPERY ROADS: from sleet and freezing rain will be the worst Saturday morning. I’m thinking more slushy than ice rink.
POWER OUTAGES: we nearly always at least have a few spots with outages during wintry weather. But this is not enough for a widespread, crippling ice storm.
LOCAL FORECASTS:
LYNCHBURG: brief snow possible early Saturday morning. Most wintry precip is sleet or freezing rain. Then afternoon rain.
ROANOKE: snow early. Maybe 1” totals before it melts? More slush than accumulations. Heavy sleet/wintry mix. Afternoon rain. Bent Mountain should be icy/slippery.
DANVILLE: I don’t see any significant travel problems. Temperatures quickly rise above 32. Rain/mostly rain.
LEXINGTON: is probably the one town in the ABC13 viewing area w best chance of measurable snow. If you want snow and get 2”, consider it a win!
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