Oak Hill, WV (WOAY-TV): On the heels of the biggest snowfall of the season, dangerous cold and then more snow follows.
TONIGHT: We should see a red hue in the sky during sunset tonight as the front clears the region and an Arctic air mass dives into southern West Virginia. Low temperatures will bottom out at around 4 degrees with wind chills hitting -9 degrees below 2,000 feet and -20 degrees above 2,000 feet (likely -25 to -35 degrees at Snowshoe Mountain). Wind Chill Advisories and Wind Chill Warnings are in effect. Frostbite can occur in fewer than 15 minutes for western Pocahontas County and 15-30 minutes for the remainder of the region, so pack on the layers before you head outside!
ROAD CONDITIONS & PIPES: Temperatures this cold will trigger wet spots on main thoroughfares to freeze, so slippery travel is expected regardless of which thoroughfare you typically travel to work. Open cabinet doors and leave faucets dripping through midweek to help prevent pipe bursts.
WEDNESDAY: Deep blue sky and sunshine is expected with a steady breeze at 10 mph. The wind chill will only rebound to about -9 degrees despite highs in the upper teens.
THURSDAY to SATURDAY: (SNOW FORECAST): Flurries will begin between 3-6 p.m. Thursday and transition to light snow in the evening. Snow will transition to snow showers Friday evening and end Saturday afternoon. Total snow accumulation of 4-5 inches expected along Route 19, with 5-7 inches in the western Greenbrier Valley and Pocahontas County. The Greenbrier Valley (Lewisburg and White Sulphur Springs) will accumulate 2-3 inches of snowfall.
(WIND CHILLS): On Saturday morning, wind chills will dip to -10 degrees across the region and up to -35 degrees in western Pocahontas County and the western Greenbrier Valley. Another round of Wind Chill alerts are expected.
SUNDAY and MONDAY: These mornings will be the coldest of the season for the Greenbrier Valley with lows between 0 and -5 degrees and calm wind. For the remainder of the region, low temperatures on these mornings will bottom out between 7 and 14 degrees as an inversion develops each night (cold air traps in the valley and milder temperatures move in aloft under an inversion). Sunny skies expected each afternoon.
LATE MONTH OUTLOOK (MONDAY, JANUARY 22 TO SUNDAY, JANUARY 28): A big pattern change will bring a warming trend with temperatures likely reaching 50 to 60 degrees later in this period. There will likely be one or two storms that tap the Gulf of Mexico and bring rain. Due to the melting snow and thawing ground during this time, there is a risk for flooding. Stay tuned.
