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A U.S. Forest Service dispatcher said that fires began Friday on Cove Mountain in Botetourt County, and Saturday along Barbers Creek in Craig County and near the Alleghany Tunnel in Alleghany County. The Botetourt fire was estimated at about 57 acres Sunday evening and the Alleghany fire at about 80 acres.

In Craig County, more than 1,000 acres were on fire, the forest service reported. To read more about the wildfires, click here. To read more about the weather conditions contributing to the red flag warning, click here.

Likely it is hard for  people on the south end of the county to fathom why school was canceled today. However in portions of northern and western Botetourt County snow is still coming down. Five miles west of Fincastle, the snow total was a little over 3 inches at 8:15 a.m.  In the Cloverdale area just a skiff of snow is on ground and melting quickly. In Roanoke the Daffodils are blooming!

Anything in your snow day worthy of a photo? Send photos to news@botetourtview.com

Of course, by the time you read this, conditions may have changed.

Fincastle got about four inches of snow this morning, but the sky was soon blue and the roads were clear. By the time I got to Daleville, there were barely flakes on the ground — although a storm was still blowing on Tinker Mountain.

Here’s a photo gallery of conditions.

Do you have snow photos? You can share at news@botetourtview.com or use the “share” tool to upload 10 at a time. If you’re looking for photos from the previous snow, they start here.

If you’re snowed in today, you can spend some of the time voting in our 4th annual Best of Botetourt reader awards. There’s less than a week to go; the voting closes at midnight on Sunday, March 11.

Pea size is a description of hail. File photo

Around midnight on March 1, a thunder storm bowled through Western Botetourt producing several moments of pea sized hail.

Anyone else get hail?

Here’s the rainfall total for the past 24 hours. This morning,  from small streams and all way the to the James River are filled from the past day’s rain. Want to know the best weather forecast?  Try Kevin Myatt’s Weather Journal here.

24 Hr. Rain Fall totals for Botetourt iFlows sites,

Apple Orchard Mountain 0.87

Buchanan 1.06

Carvin Creek 0.59

Daleville 0.59

Glade Creek 0.28

Lithia 0.67

North Fork 1.14

Oriskany 1.26

Sloan Branch 1.22

Tinker Creek 0.71

Troutville 0.59

Hannah McMillion, Garrett McMillion, Chandler Smith, Madison Brogan, Meradith Brogan, Malorie Brogan and Wyatt Mabe. Courtesy of Laura Mays

Laura Mays of Buchanan submitted this photo of the year’s first snow day off from school.

MORE BOTETOURT SNOW PHOTOS:
* Tanner and Matthew prepare for the ultimate snowball fight
* Pam Brooks shares snow photos from Blue Ridge
* The Whitings build a 15-foot-tall snowman
* Sandra Harter shares snow photos
* Kara Tice shares her snow angels
* Snow at Blue Ridge Springs Farm
* Snow with JB Cook
* A cabin in the snow
* Barbara Vinal shares snowy scenic photos
* The Prillamans share “Shorty the Snow King”
* Kye Ginono and his snowman
* Jacob Mulhauser’s snow man
* Scenic snow photos from west of Fincastle
* Kristin McNaron shares sledding photos from Cloverdale
* The Tickners share snow photos from Fincastle
* Rodney Spickard shares photos of snowy dawn on Country Club Road
* Photos of road conditions Monday morning
* The Blugermans in Troutville
* Ellen Prillaman in Blue Ridge
* Shawnee Leigh in Oriskany
* Cathy Benson’s snow photos

Do you have snow photos from around Botetourt? You can share at news@botetourtview.com or use the “share” tool to upload 10 at a time.

A tornado watch is in effect until 10 p.m. for much of Southwest Virginia, including Botetourt County. Read more on Kevin Myatt’s Weather Journal blog.

From the watch:

TORNADOES…HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS

TO 70 MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. …

REMEMBER…A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

Courtesy of K. Webster

K. Webster of Troutville submitted this snowfall picture from the Bonsack area.

Do you have snow photos from around Botetourt? You can share at news@botetourtview.com or use the “share” tool to upload 10 at a time.

Here are some other snow photos from around Botetourt:
* The ultimate snowball fight in Fincastle
* Tanner and Matthew prepare for the ultimate snowball fight
* Pam Brooks shares snow photos from Blue Ridge
* The Whitings build a 15-foot-tall snowman
* Sandra Harter shares snow photos
* Kara Tice shares her snow angels
* Snow at Blue Ridge Springs Farm
* Snow with JB Cook
* A cabin in the snow
* Barbara Vinal shares snowy scenic photos
* The Prillamans share “Shorty the Snow King”
* Kye Ginono and his snowman
* Jacob Mulhauser’s snow man
* Scenic snow photos from west of Fincastle
* Kristin McNaron shares sledding photos from Cloverdale
* The Tickners share snow photos from Fincastle
* Rodney Spickard shares photos of snowy dawn on Country Club Road
* Photos of road conditions Monday morning
* The Blugermans in Troutville
* Ellen Prillaman in Blue Ridge
* Shawnee Leigh in Oriskany
* Cathy Benson’s snow photos

Courtesy of Malia Huffman

Malia Huffman shares this photo of a rainbow over Breckinridge Elementary School on Thursday morning. Thanks, Malia!

Courtesy of Pam Brooks

These photos were submitted by Pam Brooks of Blue Ridge.

Do you have snow photos from around Botetourt? You can share at news@botetourtview.com or use the “share” tool to upload 10 at a time.

Here are some other snow photos from around Botetourt:
* The Whitings build a 15-foot-tall snowman
* Sandra Harter shares snow photos
* Kara Tice shares her snow angels
* Snow at Blue Ridge Springs Farm
* Snow with JB Cook
* A cabin in the snow
* Barbara Vinal shares snowy scenic photos
* The Prillamans share “Shorty the Snow King”

* Kye Ginono and his snowman
* Jacob Mulhauser’s snow man
* Scenic snow photos from west of Fincastle
* Kristin McNaron shares sledding photos from Cloverdale
* The Tickners share snow photos from Fincastle
* Rodney Spickard shares photos of snowy dawn on Country Club Road
* Photos of road conditions Monday morning
* The Blugermans in Troutville
* Ellen Prillaman in Blue Ridge
* Shawnee Leigh in Oriskany
* Cathy Benson’s snow photos