Rain, snow and wind… We are gearing for a significant winter storm to impact much of Virginia and North Carolina over the next few days. Snow will move in from southwest to northeast, from mid-morning to midday. Areas along the Albemarle and Outer Banks, will more than likely see rain. As the area of low pressure moves closer to the area, it will drive in slightly warmer temperatures, which will cause the snow to transition to rain for most areas. We will see that switch to rain from south to north through the midday to afternoon hours. Our northern communities, especially along the Peninsulas, may see a slower transition to rain than the rest of us, meaning you could see a little more snow on Friday.
Saturday will start with rain across most of the area. But later in the day, once the low exits the coast, colder air will wrap around the backside of the low, causing the rain to transition back to snow. Some wintry weather could stick around into very early Sunday morning before all of the moisture pushes offshore.
Keep in mind that the forecast will all be dependent on the precise track of the storm. Right now, Southside, the Eastern Shore and parts of inland North Carolina could see anywhere from 1 to 2″ of snow. Most of our communities along the Peninsulas could see between 2 and 4″ of snow. However, we’ll have to watch some of our northern Peninsula communities. If there is any shift in the storm’s track, we could see areas like Williamsburg, Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex counties receiving between 4 and 6″ of snow. The Albemarle and the Outer Banks will likely see snow but not snow accumulation will be limited. We will not see these snow totals all at once since it will snow, switch to rain (melting snow), then switch back to snow.
In addition to the snow and rain, we will see very strong winds. Winds will start to crank up on Friday with gusts to near 30 mph. Gusts could reach to 40+ mph on Saturday and Sunday. Winds will start from the NE but shift to the north. This could create some coastal and tidal flooding issues, especially for parts of the Southside. Watch out for flooding during times of high tide. For Sewells Point that is 8:30 AM and 8:49 PM on Saturday and 9:14 AM and 9:32 PM on Sunday.
Today: Cloudy, AM Snow to PM Clouds(90%), Breezy. Highs near 40. Winds: NE 10-20
Tonight: Cloudy, Rain(90%), Windy. Lows near 40. Winds: NE 20-30G45
Tomorrow: Cloudy, AM Rain to PM Snow(80%), Windy. Highs in the low 40s. Winds: NE/N 15-25G35
Today in Weather History (NWS Wakefield)
January 22nd
1943 Winter Weather: Ice Storm in Richmond (Widespread Tree Damage)
For weather updates on Facebook: MylesHendersonWTKR
Follow me on Twitter: @MHendersonWTKR
Check out the Interactive Radar on WTKR.com: Interactive Radar
