Advisories lifted Roanoke south (1:45 pm)
UPDATE 1:45 PM: Winter weather advisories continue for Bath, Rockbridge, and Amherst counties northward into Saturday morning, but have been lifted for all counties to south. Temperatures are expected to remain above freezing as additional rain moves in this evening, except for pockets in the advisory counties. END UPDATE
UPDATE 11:15 AM: Winter weather advisories have been lifted from Roanoke and Blacksburg southward. They remain in effect for Craig, Botetourt and Bedford counties northward for some patchy freezing drizzle. END UPDATE
UPDATE 6:45 AM, 2/22: Patchy freezing rain, rain, sleet and snow (mostly east/northeast of Roanoke) continues this morning (radar above from 6:38 a.m. … click here for current radar) in parts of Southwest Virginia, though it appears drier air may punch in from the west and bring a lull to the precipitation in the next few hours.Some patchy drizzle/freezing drizzle or light rain/light freezing rain may re- develop through the day as southeast winds lift moisture up the slope of the higher terrain, but temperatures will slowly warm above freezing where it is not there already, except maybe for a few isolated locations, primarily valleys north and west at Roanoke, that cling near the freezing mark. The early morning period has brought light amounts of snow, sleet and glaze ice to many parts of the region. Beware if traveling of patchy ice on bridges and overpasses and in higher elevations, as temperatures vary from near 30 to the mid 30s. END UPDATE
Precipitation — rain and sleet, mostly, some snow — has been advancing northeastward out of Tennessee into Southwest Virginia on Thursday evening, but is hitting a wall of dry air near the Interstate 77 corridor (radar above from just before midnight … you can link here for current radar). This is evidence of the wedge of cold, dry air in the layer of the atmosphere above the surface. As the precipitation advances into the drier air, it will continue to moisten it, but early precipitation that melts on its way to the surface will help cool those layers through a process known as “evaporational cooling.” Eventually moisture will reach the surface in the New River and Roanoke valleys, likely beginning as sleet and snow (mixed with some rain at the outset in lower elevations). Later in the morning, warmer air building aloft on top of the colder air at the surface will change the precipitation to more of a rain/sleet or freezing rain/sleet mix — depending on whether surface temperatures at your locality are just above freezing or just below — and eventually to a cold rain in many areas before tapering on Friday morning. Snow/sleet amounts of 1/2 to 2 inches plus glazing of a tenth or two can be expected in much of the region, which is why winter weather advisories cover a large swath of western and southern Virginia. Beware if traveling in the morning … conditions may be much different in various places you travel than they are at your front door.
Another round of rain on Friday night and early Saturday will again be flirting with the freezing mark, with some locations especially north and west of Roanoke getting additional icing.
February 22, 2013 - 12:11 AM
RSS feed 
Up late, had an evening board meeting that ran long. Started snowing heavily enough to reduce visibility about 45 min ago, started off as light mixture of everything. Temp is starting to fall, currently 34F and snow is accumulating slowly on elevated surfaces but not the road or grass yet. Melting a little slower than it is accumulating. Wind was very calm before it all started and now it is a tad breezy. Feels warmer than the gauge says. My gut says it’ll be a borderline event all the way through, bouncing above and below freezing.
Heading to bed as it all starts to play out.
Snow and sleet in radford pretty steady
Snow in the burg
Moderate to Heavy Snow.
How long is this “heavy stuff” supposed to last somewhere around 1”/hr. right now
Still coming down steadily here as all sleet. But can’t see it lasting more than a couple of more hours…where does the NWS get the idea it will continue for most of the day on Friday as per their forecast of 100% precip for the day??
It only has to precipitate .01 inch during the entire to day to verify a 100 percent forecast. Though the point forecast does make it sound like it will last solid all day. It probably won’t.
Switched over to rain and sleet – on a half inch base of snow with sleet on top and it has accumulated on the grass and road now.. Still coming down steadily. Down to 32F so heading toward freezing rain and sleet. Yuck! The rain could soak the base and freeze.
VDOT is taking this seriously, at least in Floyd County. I noticed on my way home that they spread gravel on the roads, even the back roads.
Ok, Go. To. Bed. John.
It’s not a specific answer, Camden Fairlawn, but Indian Valley John sorta answered your question: Your snow continues until it warms up enough aloft to change it to rain/freezing rain/sleet.
Based on radar movement,,
Id guess most of significant precip
will be east and northeast of ROA by daybreak or just after..
Spotty patches behind it…but looks
fairly insignificant.
I think a NWS forecast update is in order for Roanoke.
Seems they are lumping them in with Greensboro.
A line from Charlotte- GSO- DAN to Farmville
I can see lasting till noon or after…but ROA not so much
Sorry I confused you that my last name was “Fairlawn” forgot to put in
Snowflakes outside my window in south Roanoke County now. Probably won’t stay up too much longer to watch it.
I cant see flakes or raindrops from the South
Shores of the muddy Grapevine…
and with that,,,Goodnight
Steady, wind-driven snow with heavier bursts every few minutes in Blacksburg just off Prices Fork Road. 28 degrees at 3:30 AM down from 37 degrees at 12:45 AM. Complete snow cover on streets, trees, cars, all surfaces.
Looks on radar like this particular round of wintry weather is shifting eastward and will be shutting off pretty soon for New River and Roanoke valleys. Some patchy stuff in eastern Kentucky moves through later, maybe.
Unless a new impulse moves in from the southwest…the back edge of all precip is through and clear from Roanoke westward by 6Am! There is nothing back there. It’s all in the Carolinas just south and east of VA and moving quickly east. The forecast beyond the burst right now is way over-stated.
Apologies – you just stated this.
So what about road conditions and school closings? Do you think giles and Craig will be in
Truck hood was white at 2:44 AM.Looks to be maybe an inch now. 29.1*
This sofar, has been one of the better called forecasts this winter. Looks like it’s dead on up to now.
Another 3 hour event. Unbelievable how we continue to get WWA that are in effect for 12 hours + (as of 10pm Thursday this WWA was in effect for 24 hours), and the precip always lasts about 5 hours or less. Remember this fact when the excitement starts to build about the possible March storms that may come – if they do, they won’t precipitate more than about 5 hours, which will hold down whatever possible accumulations there may be.
Probably a silly question, but wondering about 81 to 77 to Charlotte travel will be like a little later on the day.
Thanks
30* here and a frosting of snow on the mulch areas only. Misting. But despite the temp, the driveway is merely wet, not a bit icy. However, the mailbox has some ice/frozen stuff on it. The difference between an elevated metal surface and a flat non-metal one.
34* at 6:30 N of Pulaski. About 0.5″ of sneet overnight. A little mist in the last 30 minutes that has since stopped. Didn’t even need a scraper on the car windows, just wiped off with a glove.
Check in DC.
Another round of NOTHING! Another WAY over-hyped up storm! Come on spring!!! I’m tired of all week the talk of wintry weather and advisoried goin up, and waking up to nothing! I’m takin sides with Jared here! This is all rediculous! I know this was never a big amount event, and not much precipitation to fall, but why was it the talk of the roanoke valley world, like it was a big storm comin! I’m not sure how we survived the winter 3 years ago, if these systems are a big deal….. absolutely disappointing! I think a lot of the wintry weather talk is to get more viewers, it certainly appears that way! I’m gonna take a guess….. I will bet that there is gonna be talk of a possible snow or ice event that “could” be significant next Friday/Saturday! Lol
Posted on the last post, now I’ve had some coffee and found the new one.
28º and foggy now @ 6:55. Started as sleet and must of snowed a little too. Nasty coating of ice on top. I don’t know if it rained a little and froze or if its just the fog freezing but its extremely slick. Accumulation around 0.75″.
Currently I-77 SBL MP 16.9 air temp 28.6º pavement surface temp 31.6.
I-581 NBL MP 5.5 air temp 30.9º pavement surface temp 34.9º.
Said an 1″. Just now got closer to 1//2″, packed with rain ,sleet. Not that it makes any difference.
Inch of snow with a couple two inch drifts. Ice on roads
Up here in the “southern Shenandoah Valley” we were having a good snow at sunrise. Now it is beginning to sputter. I’d say the official forecast is dead-on.
30 degrees at my house and about 3/4″ of snow (or white stuff) on the ground and clinging to trees.
Dirckcox I-77 at Fancy Gap is EXTREMELY foggy. Visibility less than 300′ in places. I’m around 7 miles north of “The Gap” and visibility here is around 1,000′.
Just to say, my rant from earlier is not directed towards this blog… KM’s thought on this storm was right on…. I’m just tired of the hype the news stations make about it! While yes, this was never a biggun…. if u watched or just listened to them without seeing any models…you’d think we were gonna get buried… watching RR yesterday, talkin about the snow and ice and how it could continue most the day… while the model behind him showed a brief burst..and nothing! Lol…. just call the daggon thing like it is! Don’t make it sound like its the ice storm of the century..when in fact its just a little brush of it…
Ricky, I didn’t see much “hype” about this event. Minor nuisance winter weather event unevenly affecting the area was projected. Minor nuisance winter weather event unevenly affecting the area occurred. And, yes, we’re probably going to have another Tuesday or so and yet another late next week. Just the way the season is rolling with it right now.
Dirckcox: Most of that route should be in pretty good shape by late morning, but as always, beware Fancy Gap, and bridges/overpasses along the way.
About 1/4 inch of snow/sleet/ice muck at my location south of Roanoke (1400 feet elev.), temperature of 30 degrees. Roads appear to be wet.
Blacksburg Mike: Some of the timing on the winter weather advisory was due to whether or not it was going to be continued this evening for the second round of precipitation. NWS-Blacksburg is backing off continuing that now as it appears temperatures will warm above freezing and stay there, except in some of the Alleghany Highlands and southern Shenandoah Valley.
And I think we’ve got at least THREE more systems in the pipeline that are going to flirt winter weather with us — and probably not for more than 5 hours at a whack.
Ricky: I posted my comment before I saw your second one. I don’t have time to watch much TV most of these days that involve family care/ regular office work/weather event coverage, so I can’t really comment on that (and wouldn’t anyway of course).
Blacksburg got their inch of course to blow the snow meter, again (only needed 0.7 after 0.3 on Tuesday, but NWS reported a full inch). Looks like I’m good to go for Roanoke, though.
There’s a cure for that Ricky, and anybody else that don’t like how a forecast turns out. Get a paid subscription to a professional weather service that’s tailored to your home address.
We got 0.9″ of snow and sleet in New River, eastern Pulaski County…started off as all snow though, and after the first 0.2″, I went to sleep. About 3 hours later when I woke up, the precipitation had largely ended, and that was the measurement. It did look like some freezing rain had fallen though, so the 0.9″ measurement may have been compressed snow/sleet. I got a little more sleep, and we got more freezing rain, leaving a light glaze on all surfaces not covered by snow and sleet. Roads were generally OK, but I did see a fair bit of slush on Prices Fork Rd and in spots around the VT campus and VTCRC. Total liquid equivalent of 0.16″.
A coating of ice and 30 degreees in Burke’s Garden this morning, but when you get across the mountain to Tazewell it’s 38 degrees and no ice.
We had about 1/2″ of sleet mixed with a little freezing rain. The roads are pretty much ok. 32 degrees.
It is 25 and we have an inch of mostly snow. Lots of fog – visibility about a half mile and only the slightest breeze. There may be a little sleet mixed in but very little. It seems it may have started as a tiny bit of freezing rain. Have been sweeping off the cars and decks and the snow is dry powder. A good one to use a leaf blower on. Back to doing the farm chores.
31 degrees and the only winter sight in Goodview is a few white specks on the deck…and a few on a couple dirt patches
Ricky, I feel your pain! Nothing up this way over about an inch this year and nothing over about 3 inches in the last 3 years! If your from Roanoke or southwest at least you have gotten that one decent snow this year to fall back on. Wish the pattern would change to where we have 2-3 good winters in a row instead of 1 out of every 10:(
Roanoke offiically clocks in at 0.1 inch of snow. Not 1.0 …. 0.1.
Yeah brian same here in moneta. Bedford kids got a free day off today
I see the Canadien model is showing a tease for the 3rd of March! To bad no other models are jumping in with it. Pretty much writing this winter off, tired of all the model teases over the last 3 months!
3/4 an inch of snow now sleeting backroads are white
Another spot on prognostication ?? for the Roanoke Times weatherman.
Kevin,
Awoke to 1 inch of all snow here at 6:00 am but the roads were in good shape except for a few slushy spots and reported it to the Ping Project. Yesterday’s 55 degree high was our saving grace.
Doppler Carol,
I’m pretty sure I read on this blog a few years ago (probably from you) about wearing your pajamas inside out and flusing ice cubes. Hilarious! I’m 57 years young but I don’t remember hearing that one when I was a kid.
We actually had a pretty coating of snow this morning. Light, but covered the grass.
Are we still looking at the potential for a large winter storm the first week of March?
There remains potential for a larger winter storm as these shortwaves keep moving through the jet stream underneath the polar trough that will be establishing itself late next week for several days. So the potential is there. Whether that potential realizes itself remains to be seen.
Personally, I think it will snow measurably (1+) once or twice more on a fairly widespread basis in our region before March 10, but I’m not sure yet about a bigger event (4+). The pattern will be a bit more favorable, at least, for these little events to be snow instead of rain/ice/mix starting late next week. And there is a chance for more.
We have about 1/2″ of snow/sleet mix here that appears to be mostly heavy wet snow. There is a trace of ice on elevated surfaces (tops of garbage cans etc). Are we going to see any sun today? I am under the impression that we won’t but I see a break in the cloud cover on the radar to the west and was wondering if it would make it this way.
VAZ020-024-035-231515-
BATH-ROCKBRIDGE-AMHERST-
1014 AM EST FRI FEB 22 2013
…PARTICULARLY NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 81
CORRIDOR.
I’ll bet they meant “north of the interstate 64 corridor.” Locations are east and west of 81. Someone else must be tired also.
I just noticed the schools were closed in City and County too? Seriously? I’m officially getting old LOL
The storm last night looked very robust as it approached from the west, but then it seemed to split, with northern and southern pieces of energy going their separate ways, almost as if it de-phased. Of course the New River and Roanoke Valleys were mostly left in the dry slot between the two pieces. We seem to have avoided an ice storm.
Ground white with a mixture of sleet,snow and crunchy stuff..very foggy and some freezing drizzle noted. Temp still right at 32* here in Galax…
The Chapel stayed all rain after midnight and stayed above freezing. Now cloudy but no fog. Winds are fairly brisk and we are up to 44. No cold air trapped on this side of the mountain.
up here in C’ville, they have predicted 1″ of sleet/snow/freezing rain but all it did this morning was spritz a little around 645 as i was getting to work.
Still under an Advisory until tomorrow, but the radar looks clear from here down to Charlotte. On the loop it looks as if someone in Missouri took a deep breath and blew all the energy out NE and SE from Virginia.
I don’t understand how the forecast for the rest of today is for 100% chance of sleet with high probabilities of freezing rain tonight and tomorrow. a big gust of air would have to come down from Canada quite fast for that, it seems like (but im no expert)
You may be right Lex. Though I-81 actually runs more southwest-northeast, so locations could be interpreted as south-north I suppose as well as west-east.
Interstates that run in a general N-S direction are given odd numbers, while interstates that run in a general E-W direction are given even numbers (beltways excluded). The Blacksburg office regularly confuses me with they say something like “north of I-81.” And it isn’t the first time they’ve said that.
And then there’s that odd stretch at Wytheville where I-77 NORTH and I-81 SOUTH share the same highway (and vice versa) – a rare interstate “wrong way concurrency.” Odd non-weather regional trivia fact of the day.
Kevin…my favorite remains I-64 between I-264 in Virginia Beach and I-664 in Suffolk. There, I-64 West runs east, and I-64 East runs west. Always good for confusing the tourists down there…
And also adding to the confusion on that mix of I-81/77 near Wytheville, it also carries Routes 11 and 52. So signs going south along I-81 say:
North I-77, South I-81, South Route 11, North Route 52, as all 4 are contiguous for a stretch.
And, the road basically runs east-west through there on top of it all.
Saw 36 on the thermometer right after lunch and now it says 35. Still cloudy with a slight breeze out of the south/southeast. There is some melting going on.
This little snippet will intrigue some..
Route 50 through Northern Va has quite a length,
as well as some interesting history.
California to the Eastern Shore.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_50
Tipton Missouri was where Mark Twain got off the train
and onto the Butterfield Overland Mail..the Pony Express
also used pieces of that route. Many people dont know that the Pony Express lasted just a little over 18 months.
travel was good today, albeit a bit of fog at Fancy Gap, but everyone knew what to do, drove w/ care and no accidents.
Roads were not slick at all.
Thanks!
That sounds like a great cross-country journey, Joe.
…U.S. 220 is the route that tries its best to hold a northerly heading
but even it falls under the pressure of paralleling the ridges
in Penn and WVa.
220 was originally designated 711..(also think 311)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_220
I can only raise road ice as this being in any way weather pertinent…
But I love old maps and road / Indian trail/ early American history .
Lots of weather geeks are geography geeks, too. At Virginia Tech, the meteorology program is within geography, so the students are fascinated by all the places we travel through and visit on the way to storms (and on the days there aren’t any storms).
I’m the one that got us “off-topic” on highways, anyway.
I would rather talk about highways instead of these dreadful snowless winters we have!
Well we are enjoying a spring day here in the Chapel. Still cloudy but up to 53 balmy degrees. No precip since last night. Went and got another load of wood to add to the pile. Heard winter is going to return by the end of next week. I see you folks are still socked in on that side of the mountain. Guess that wedge will give by tomorrow.
So happy to be at the point where we now have 12 hours of visible light and the time grows a bit each day.
Thanks much Kevin,,,
Now…let me point out how sleepy u were..
(Though completely on task) last night..
Our heads were following pretty similar
paths on the Shawnee Trail…
(entry 10 vs 15)
Kevin, can you tell us more about the three upcoming possible flirtatious with winter weather you alluded to in an earlier comment?
I’m an all around geek…and I proudly admit that. Weather, maps, geography, engineering, sports, food, computers, cars, guns, Star Trek…I certainly don’t know everything, or even a ton about some subjects…but I still geek out on them when I can. But weather, maps (Google Earth is awesome, I use it near daily), engineering, Star Trek, and hockey are my top 5.
Now that we’re finally above freezing, albeit just 34 degrees, quite a bit of the muck that fell overnight is melting…probably about half gone now. I still remember back around the holidays, some friends of ours came over from Floyd after one of their ice storms…they had a solid half-inch to inch or ice caked all over their car. Needless to say, they also had no power for close to a week too. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen ice like that…I’ve actually never been in any truly bad ice storms. A few of a quarter inch or so, and maybe 1 of close to a half-inch, but that’s about it. And none of them were all that terribly disruptive.
The worst was probably down in Hampton Roads, after several very cold days there was a nor’easter and we got a fair bit of freezing rain from that, that really slicked things up. Then as the storm passed by we changed to sleet, getting a solid layer on the ground, and then snow…to several inches of accumulation…sort of the reverse of the progression for many storms here. That stuck around for about 5 days, with the roads just about undrivable due to the underlaying ice and compacted snow/sleet, which was basically ice.
Somehow this seems a little appropriate..
taking a little music roadtrip..in time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VST2KKIYn50
Anybody got a spare pitchfork they ain’t usin? Let me borrow it if you do. I WILL be put to good use.
Jennifer: I will talk about at least one of them, maybe two, on my next blog post this evening.
34..3* here with a high of 37 after midnight.
Kevin, come on now, please tell us we’re gonna some serious snow sometime soon!!!
Thanks!
Looks like the winter weather advisory is being reissued up and down the Blue Ridge tonight and Saturday morning.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rnk/emer/emer.php
More on that in a bit … and next week …
Stuck on 32º here, best it could do all day. Fog lifted some but still drizzling.
WD…
I “aint” using mine…
but you-ll have to meet me in Memphis
to get it.