CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia will see February end on a soggy note with heavy rain in the forecast, particularly for Saturday night and Sunday.
Listen to “Meteorologist Tom Mazza, NWS Charleston” on Spreaker.
The National Weather Service has issued flood watches for nearly all of the Mountain State starting Saturday evening and stretching all the way into Monday. Only the northern panhandle and extreme eastern panhandle are not included in that watch.
Meteorologist Tom Mazza at the National Weather Service office in Charleston said Saturday morning rain will give everything a good soaking and keep the ground saturated, but noted it’s the rainfall Saturday night and Sunday which is of greatest concern.
“That round is going to be affecting central and northern portions of the state, then Sunday night it’s going to shift back south as a cold front moves through,” he said.
The rainfall could be substantial in parts of West Virginia.
“We expect 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, the highest amounts of 3 to 4 inches south of Charleston over the coalfields. We expect good rises on rivers down there like the Tug Fork and the Guyandotte,” Mazza explained.
However, he added when the rainfall shifts to the north, there could be some equally severe flood risk in that part of the state as well.
“Further north, you’re still looking at amounts in the two inch range and when you get into the mountains and add in the snow melt you’re still looking at some good river rises there too like on the Greenbrier and Tygart,” he said.
Here is our rainfall forecast through Monday. Flood Watches for some counties have been issued! Expect rises on creeks, streams, and rivers and potential high water in low lying/poor drainage areas. #wvwx #vawx #ohwx #kywx pic.twitter.com/MRC3bKUUEH
— NWS Charleston, WV (@NWSCharlestonWV) February 27, 2021
As for just how severe the flood threat may be and whether it posed a risk of severe damage, Mazza said all depended on the rainfall amounts, but suggested it was worth keeping an eye on.
“It could be significant, especially if we realize those rainfall amounts. It’s enough to be concerned with and to keep up to date on the developments and advisories,” he said.