Central Virginia to see possible snow followed by arctic blast
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Central Virginia has a very interesting weather setup coming up later this weekend and early next week, and it all has to do with an arctic front coming through later Saturday and early Sunday and a significant push of arctic air for early next week. During Saturday, Jan. 18, a weak weather system will slide into Central Virginia from our southwest, bringing us some clouds and the risk of a few showers. Our high temperatures for Saturday will be in the middle to upper 40s. On Saturday night, a cold front is going to push through, and that cold front is an arctic front. However, it is going to take about 12 to 24 hours for the true arctic air to slide in from Canada over the Blue Ridge and finally into Central Virginia. Here's the interesting scenario that we are looking at for Sunday: another weather impulse will develop in the morning on Sunday, Jan. 19 over the Carolinas and push our way. This will take a track up Interstate 85 to Interstate 95, which means it will keep us chilly, but well above freezing so we will have some rain showers late morning Sunday into early Sunday afternoon. Then, changes happen as the moisture from that next weather impulse is over us, and the arctic air will begin to change that rain over to snow. There's the potential for a few inches of snow, at least that is according to some of our weather models. The problem is that the timing is going to have to work out perfectly to allow that to happen. Typically, the arctic air comes in here as the moisture is just about gone, so we could get maybe some flurries, a couple of snow showers or maybe a light dusting. This setup might be slightly different and there may be just a decent amount of moisture around that gives us a couple of inches of snow across Central Virginia, especially west of I-95 before the moisture pulls away and the arctic air really settles in. The arctic air is the second part of this forecast that will affect everyone. The arctic air will be in place for Monday, Jan. 20, Tuesday, Jan. 21 and Wednesday, Jan. 22, and our daytime highs will run 20 to nearly 25 degrees below normal for this time of year. We will also have overnight lows that will be in the single digits during Monday night, Tuesday night and possibly Wednesday night. This will be some of the coldest air we have seen in quite some time. There is a chance that some of you could be looking at frozen pipes or pipes that will burst with this type of arctic air coming in by Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning. The easiest way to prevent that from happening is to keep the faucets dripping a little bit each night and during the day since we are not going to be above freezing which will keep the flow of water moving through the pipes. Also, it's a good idea for some of you to open those cabinet doors where your pipes might be located such as under the kitchen sink or underneath a bathroom sink. That will allow the warm air from the house to get into those areas and keep those pipes warmer. It is also a good idea to know where your main water shut off air valve is in the house just in case a pipe does burst. Another thing to keep in mind is that with the recent cold weather that we have had and the extreme cold weather coming up some of our ponds and reservoirs and lakes will develop ice on them. The ice that develops will not be thick enough to go on so please stay off any icy ponds or waterways. You will fall through the ice and into the frigid water and possibly develop hypothermia.
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Central Virginia has a very interesting weather setup coming up later this weekend and early next week, and it all has to do with an arctic front coming through later Saturday and early Sunday and a significant push of arctic air for early next week.
During Saturday, Jan. 18, a weak weather system will slide into Central Virginia from our southwest, bringing us some clouds and the risk of a few showers. Our high temperatures for Saturday will be in the middle to upper 40s.
On Saturday night, a cold front is going to push through, and that cold front is an arctic front. However, it is going to take about 12 to 24 hours for the true arctic air to slide in from Canada over the Blue Ridge and finally into Central Virginia.
Here's the interesting scenario that we are looking at for Sunday: another weather impulse will develop in the morning on Sunday, Jan. 19 over the Carolinas and push our way. This will take a track up Interstate 85 to Interstate 95, which means it will keep us chilly, but well above freezing so we will have some rain showers late morning Sunday into early Sunday afternoon.
Then, changes happen as the moisture from that next weather impulse is over us, and the arctic air will begin to change that rain over to snow. There's the potential for a few inches of snow, at least that is according to some of our weather models. The problem is that the timing is going to have to work out perfectly to allow that to happen.
Typically, the arctic air comes in here as the moisture is just about gone, so we could get maybe some flurries, a couple of snow showers or maybe a light dusting. This setup might be slightly different and there may be just a decent amount of moisture around that gives us a couple of inches of snow across Central Virginia, especially west of I-95 before the moisture pulls away and the arctic air really settles in.
The arctic air is the second part of this forecast that will affect everyone. The arctic air will be in place for Monday, Jan. 20, Tuesday, Jan. 21 and Wednesday, Jan. 22, and our daytime highs will run 20 to nearly 25 degrees below normal for this time of year. We will also have overnight lows that will be in the single digits during Monday night, Tuesday night and possibly Wednesday night.
This will be some of the coldest air we have seen in quite some time. There is a chance that some of you could be looking at frozen pipes or pipes that will burst with this type of arctic air coming in by Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning.
The easiest way to prevent that from happening is to keep the faucets dripping a little bit each night and during the day since we are not going to be above freezing which will keep the flow of water moving through the pipes. Also, it's a good idea for some of you to open those cabinet doors where your pipes might be located such as under the kitchen sink or underneath a bathroom sink.
That will allow the warm air from the house to get into those areas and keep those pipes warmer. It is also a good idea to know where your main water shut off air valve is in the house just in case a pipe does burst.
Another thing to keep in mind is that with the recent cold weather that we have had and the extreme cold weather coming up some of our ponds and reservoirs and lakes will develop ice on them.
The ice that develops will not be thick enough to go on so please stay off any icy ponds or waterways. You will fall through the ice and into the frigid water and possibly develop hypothermia.
