Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Overnight Weather Update

Light freezing rain or freezing drizzle will continue through the pre-dawn hours across central Virginia, especially north of I-64 and west of I-95. The winter weather advisory has been extended until 6 AM to account for the likelihood of an additional thin glaze of ice, mainly affecting secondary roads. Temperatures area wide are still expected to rapidly warm throughout the day Wednesday.

Zach

Evening Winter Weather Update

As of 6:30 PM, temperatures in the Richmond metro area were still a degree or two on either side of 32 degrees, with light precipitation showing up on Doppler Max 6. While primary roads will remain wet, secondary roads (those numbered 700 and higher) will likely be slick for several more hours tonight. The winter weather advisory for Hanover, Goochland, Louisa, fluvanna, and Caroline counties has been extended until midnight tonight. In addition, the threat for heavy icing has prompted a winter storm warning for Buckingham and Appomattox counties through tomorrow morning. A tenth to a quarter of an inch of additional ice accumulation will be possible in these areas.

Zach

Winter Weather Update

Temperatures continue to hover very close to freezing in the metro area, with an official 3 PM temperature of 32 degrees at RIC. Most of the roads are in good shape, but slick spots will still be possible for a few more hours. I expect temperatures to gradually become warmer overnight, with a sunrise temp on Wednesday of 38 degrees in Richmond. I'll have another update later this afternoon.

Zach

Tuesday Update 12:50PM

Temperatures are hovering around freezing in Metro Richmond at this time, with freezing rain falling in some spots still. Temperatures will gradually all rise above the freezing mark through the afternoon, meaning all precipitation from Richmond and south will be just rain by tonight. North of Richmond to Hanover, there will continue to be a winter mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain this afternoon. The northern third of the state will continue to have snow this afternoon, accumulating up to 1" to 3".

Until temperatures rise above freezing at any particular location, rain will freeze on contact with the surface, adding to the glaze of ice already covering parts of Central Virginia. This will continue to mean dangerous traveling conditions until the ice begins to melt later this afternoon.

--Carrie--

Winter Weather Pictures From Viewers

Here is a sampling of some of the great winter weather pictures we are receiving from viewers at CBS 6.

Main Street Warsaw, Virginia
Nicky Kilmon


Louisa, VA







Louisa County, VA
Sherry Palmer






Sandston, VA
Joanie Carter

Tuesday Morning Update 8:20AM

A snow and sleet mix is currently falling in Richmond, including at CBS 6 on West Broad Street. The leading edge of the precipitation is moving into southeast parts of the Metro at this time. As this line passes your location, you can expect precipitation starting as rain, then a brief period of freezing rain with some ice accumulation as your temperature falls to freezing, becoming sleet and then snow. There will still be some sleet and rain mixed in with the snow at times this morning in the Richmond area. The previously described boundaries in the state for precipitation type today still hold true (see previous blog postings).
--Carrie--

Tuesday Morning Update 7AM

At 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, the temperature in Richmond (33 degrees at the airport) is hovering around the freezing mark, and the leading edge of precipitation is from Hanover to Goochland to Lynchburg. In North-central and Northwest Virginia, the precipitation is falling as sleet and snow. From around Lynchburg and south, the precipitation is falling as rain primarily. I expect a snow/sleet/rain mix to move into the Richmond metro area within the hour. Whatever rain falls to surfaces that are at or below freezing, will freeze on contact. This will lead to some ice accumulation. The precipitation will be light at first, but gradually become moderate through the morning hours as the leading edge pushes into Southeast Virginia.
--Carrie--

Tuesday Morning Update 6 AM

The leading edge of the precipitation is moving into North-central and Western parts of Virginia this morning, with flurries and light snow already falling in those regions. I expect this line to be moving into the Metro Richmond area after 7 a.m. this morning, and overspread all of Southeast Virginia by Noon. At this time, temperatures are hovering just above the freezing mark in the Richmond Metro, staying above freezing from Petersburg and south, and already below freezing from Fredericksburg to Charlottesville. The longer temperatures remain at or below freezing this morning, the greater potential for ice and snow accumulation in Central Virginia. This does mean a glaze of ice is possible into early this afternoon in the Richmond area as long as temperatures remain at or below freezing.

At this time, I expect a snow/rain mix north of a line from Williamsburg to Petersburg to Leesville, with all rain south of that line. From Fredericksburg to Charlottesville and north, I expect up to 1” to 3” of snow accumulation today and tonight. In the snow/rain mix area, I expect a trace up to an inch of snow accumulation by this afternoon, when the precipitation will turn over to all rain as temperatures rise back above freezing. The freezing line will shift into Northern Virginia by tonight, with mostly rain in much of Central Virginia this afternoon. Rain will continue overnight into Wednesday in Central Virginia, and end from Northwest to Southeast Wednesday night.

Check back often for updates this morning.
--Carrie--