First Warning Forecast | Wintry Ice Tapers Off, For Now
Our Southern Counties Are Targeted Again Tonight.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Most folks experienced only a 1/4″ or less of liquid precipitation, but when it shows up as ice right during the morning drive it becomes a much bigger deal. We saw light snow and sleet in our Ohio Counties, causing slickness even with less than 1″ on the ground. Others started off as rain that eventually turned to ‘freezing’ rain when temperatures dropped into the upper 20s. The worst of the conditions were sadly in our most traveled commuting roads near I-64 and the Ohio River causing lots of delays on the morning commute. Still others in the Charleston area on southward on Corridor-G and the Turnpike were largely spared from the worst of it, holding onto 32°-air and staying mainly wet on the well-treated roads. As we head to the afternoon, the precipitation tapers off to mainly a patchy drizzle or just plain cloudy skies. Because temperatures stay in the mid-30s or colder most of the day, we’re still not out of the woods for slickness on the driveways and walkways, so always be careful in any lingering drizzle or still-present ice. Tonight, a new pulse of this wintry mix will be passing through, mainly focusing on our southern counties (the ones that tried to avoid the ice this morning). Meanwhile, the northern counties will be dropping further into the 20s overnight, which can refreeze any melting during the day. Essentially, no one should let their guard down for the potential of slickness on the roadways and walkways right through tomorrow morning.
There may well be more delays to deal with Wednesday morning, given the continued cold, potential for re-freezing, and the risk for ice down south. Wednesday itself will actually be somewhat of a decent day, with partly sunny skies. Temperatures will hold again in the 30s though, dropping to the upper 20s once more that night. That painful freeze-thaw cycle will keep the pressure on the pipes and the potholes. The cold actually gets even colder toward the end of the work-week, as an arctic blast “Polar Vortex” narrowly misses us while hitting New England. Morning temperatures on Saturday will be in the teens, and a full day of sunshine will still hold us in the 30s at best that afternoon. We do bounce back better next week though, with the 50s returning to the scene on Monday.
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