ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR)—Gusty winds, mountain snow showers, and much colder air will kick off the new year in Southwest and Central Virginia.
A Wind Advisory will continue for counties along/west of the Blue Ridge through midday on Wednesday. Wind gusts as high as 50 mph are possible, resulting in isolated power outages and downed tree limbs.
From Wednesday through early Thursday morning, a Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for western Greenbrier County and western Highland County. A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect for northwestern Pocahontas County. Two to four inches of snowfall is possible in the advisory area while four to ten inches of snow may accumulate in the warning area. Little to no accumulation is expected elsewhere in Southwest and Central Virginia.
Otherwise, variably cloudy skies and cold blustery winds are slated for New Year’s Day. More sunshine is expected east of the Blue Ridge. Morning temperatures will start in the 30s and 40s. Highs will range from the upper 30s into the lower 50s.
Mountain snow showers will taper off by Thursday morning. Mostly to partly sunny skies will be overhead for the day. Expect temperatures to start in the sub-freezing 20s before rising into the chilly 30s and 40s by the afternoon. It will still be breezy, so wear layers to keep yourself warm.
A clipper system will impact Southwest and Central Virginia on Friday, bringing mountain snow showers and gusty northwest winds to the area. Stray light rain showers may pass east of the Blue Ridge. Highs will be in the 30s and 40s under partly to mostly cloudy skies. The snow showers will wrap up Friday night as drier air filters into the region.
Saturday will be mostly dry, blustery, and frigid. Temperatures will drop into the teens and lower 20s by Saturday morning, and wind chill values could fall below zero at higher elevations. Afternoon temperatures will reach the upper 20s and lower/middle 30s under mostly sunny skies.
A low-pressure system will work toward the Mid-Atlantic late Sunday into Monday. Cold air will be in place, but there are uncertainties concerning the timing and track of the storm system. The track of this system—as well as the amount of warm air aloft—will determine how much snow and ice Southwest and Central Virginia could see. For now, rain and snow showers are anticipated overnight Sunday into Monday. Specific snow/ice amounts still need to be ironed out.
We could be dealing with messy road conditions for the beginning of next week. The WFXR Pinpoint Weather Team will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as we approach the end of the week.