CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Christmas storm is brewing and West Virginia is in line to get a direct hit as it passes.
Early in the week the National Weather Service’s long range forecast indicated the possibility of a white Christmas. As the day has drawn nearer, forecasters have grown increasingly confident in the prediction. They’re now saying it’s likely to be more than just a small event.
“When we were looking at this a few days ago we were like, ‘Eh, five or six inches on the high end.’ Well now, that’s what we’re calling,” said Meteorologist James Zvolensky of the Charleston Weather Bureau.
The weather service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for 27 counties from the southern coalfields all the way to the northern panhandle and from the Ohio River to the Potomac Highlands. The warning goes from 7 p.m. Thursday to 1 p.m. Friday. West Virginia’s eastern panhandle will see the precipitation coming in the form of rain. Flood watches are posted for the eastern panhandle counties in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Winter storms are complex and there’s always a range of possibilities when it comes to the snowfall forecast. Here’s our expected snowfall forecast and the potential ranges based on the current computer models.https://t.co/rqhuWYCYts#wvwx #ohwx #kywx #vawx pic.twitter.com/RMNrFQZBZa
— NWS Charleston, WV (@NWSCharlestonWV) December 23, 2020
Western lowlands of West Virginia will see rainfall on Thursday afternoon which will rapidly change over to snow. The rate of the switch is the key to the accumulation level. Zvolensky said the change will happen quickly in the early evening since there is a blast of Arctic air riding the tail of the impending storm as it crosses the Great Lakes and picks up moisture.
“It’s just falling into place. The timing is great with the location. The ingredients are there to bring in some Canadian cold air,” he explained.
The forecast called for three to six inches in the western half of West Virginia all the way down into the coalfields. The further east the storm travels, the more intense the snow. Once it’s on the ground, it’s not leaving anytime soon as temperatures plunge.
“The Arctic cold air is going to come in and freeze everything. Anything liquid or wet on the ground is going to freeze over. We’re talking single digits statewide and in the mountains up to negative 15 degrees,” Zvolensky said.
The counties under the Winter Storm Warning include Tyler, Pocahontas, Randolph, Wayne, Jackson, Putnam, Wirt, Lincoln, Kanawha, Roane, Calhoun, Ritchie, Doddridge, Mingo, Logan, Boone, Clay, Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Harrison, Taylor, McDowell, Wyoming, Fayette, Nicholas and Webster.