Powerful winter storm expected to bring snow to parts of Central Virginia
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A powerful winter storm will affect Virginia Sunday evening through Monday, bringing a variety of weather depending on where you live. Some residents will get only snow, while others may first see snow and then see a very prolonged period of sleet and freezing rain, while others may have snow at the start but see a change to rain. Here's the breakdown of what StormTracker8 Meteorologists are seeing as of the morning on Friday, Jan. 3: This storm will push into Central Virginia during the day on Sunday, Jan. 5, first bringing clouds across the region. It will be a chilly day with highs only in the upper 30s. Light snow will begin between 7 and 9 p.m. across Central Virginia, which will steadily increase in intensity as we approach midnight. This is where the fine details of the forecast become very tricky. Between midnight and 2 a.m., a push of warm air in the mid-levels of our sky will begin to slide in from the south. This will create a transition to all rain for areas from Petersburg southwest along Interstate 85 to South Hill and then southeast along US HWY 460 to Waverly and Wakefield and into the Tidewater area. North of that area, which includes Chesterfield County, Henrico County, and the City of Richmond as well as Hanover County and surrounding counties, that warm air will surge up to us and create a prolonged period of sleet and freezing rain. By prolonged period, there is a potential for 6 to 8 hours of sleet and freezing rain and that would take us into the morning commute on Monday. For areas north of the town of Ashland in Hanover County, into Caroline County and Fredericksburg, there will be a little bit of sleet mixing in, but it will predominantly stay as all snow and certainly when you get north of Fredericksburg into Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia it will remain as all snow with some very significant accumulations. As mentioned, there will be several hours of light snow at the start of this system which could bring one or two inches of snow before that transition to rain for Petersburg and points south. Two to four inches of snow will accumulate across the Metro Richmond area and a good portion of Central Virginia before that prolonged period of sleet and freezing rain. Areas to the north of Ashland to Fredericksburg including Louisa, we could see four to seven inches of snow with some sleet mixing in. North of that line into Northern Virginia, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia we could be looking at seven to 12 inches of snow. During Monday, Jan. 6, this system will begin to wrap up and head off the coast. As it moves off the coast, it will take most of the moisture with it however it will pull down a reinforcing shot of colder that will be with us for the rest of the week. There will be some residual moisture from that system, so some light snow and snow showers are possible Monday afternoon and evening with some very minor accumulations. One of the biggest problems with this forecast when there is snow and sleet and freezing rain is that it creates a very hard snow pack on the roads which is tough to remove with the plows, especially when temperatures drop into the teens and lower 20s as we head into the morning on Tuesday, Jan. 7, so everything that is not removed will be a sheet of ice for Tuesday morning. While the details to this forecast are becoming clearer, we are still about two days away from the actual start of this event and things can slightly change between now and Sunday evening. It is prudent to stay with the latest forecast through the weekend.
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A powerful winter storm will affect Virginia Sunday evening through Monday, bringing a variety of weather depending on where you live. Some residents will get only snow, while others may first see snow and then see a very prolonged period of sleet and freezing rain, while others may have snow at the start but see a change to rain.
Here's the breakdown of what StormTracker8 Meteorologists are seeing as of the morning on Friday, Jan. 3:
This storm will push into Central Virginia during the day on Sunday, Jan. 5, first bringing clouds across the region. It will be a chilly day with highs only in the upper 30s. Light snow will begin between 7 and 9 p.m. across Central Virginia, which will steadily increase in intensity as we approach midnight. This is where the fine details of the forecast become very tricky.
Between midnight and 2 a.m., a push of warm air in the mid-levels of our sky will begin to slide in from the south. This will create a transition to all rain for areas from Petersburg southwest along Interstate 85 to South Hill and then southeast along US HWY 460 to Waverly and Wakefield and into the Tidewater area.
North of that area, which includes Chesterfield County, Henrico County, and the City of Richmond as well as Hanover County and surrounding counties, that warm air will surge up to us and create a prolonged period of sleet and freezing rain. By prolonged period, there is a potential for 6 to 8 hours of sleet and freezing rain and that would take us into the morning commute on Monday.
For areas north of the town of Ashland in Hanover County, into Caroline County and Fredericksburg, there will be a little bit of sleet mixing in, but it will predominantly stay as all snow and certainly when you get north of Fredericksburg into Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia it will remain as all snow with some very significant accumulations.
As mentioned, there will be several hours of light snow at the start of this system which could bring one or two inches of snow before that transition to rain for Petersburg and points south.
Two to four inches of snow will accumulate across the Metro Richmond area and a good portion of Central Virginia before that prolonged period of sleet and freezing rain.
Areas to the north of Ashland to Fredericksburg including Louisa, we could see four to seven inches of snow with some sleet mixing in. North of that line into Northern Virginia, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia we could be looking at seven to 12 inches of snow.
During Monday, Jan. 6, this system will begin to wrap up and head off the coast. As it moves off the coast, it will take most of the moisture with it however it will pull down a reinforcing shot of colder that will be with us for the rest of the week. There will be some residual moisture from that system, so some light snow and snow showers are possible Monday afternoon and evening with some very minor accumulations.
One of the biggest problems with this forecast when there is snow and sleet and freezing rain is that it creates a very hard snow pack on the roads which is tough to remove with the plows, especially when temperatures drop into the teens and lower 20s as we head into the morning on Tuesday, Jan. 7, so everything that is not removed will be a sheet of ice for Tuesday morning.
While the details to this forecast are becoming clearer, we are still about two days away from the actual start of this event and things can slightly change between now and Sunday evening. It is prudent to stay with the latest forecast through the weekend.
