Stay at home! Significant ice build-up from freezing rain, sleet is possible today

Original story

The weather starts badly as we start the long holiday weekend.

A mix of sleet and sleet has been sweeping Southside and the Lynchburg area for a few hours. The winter weather will spread further in the coming hours.

Ice and winter storm warnings are in effect along and east of the Blue Ridge Parkway. That’s where we will see the major ice build-ups and the greatest impact of this storm.

The situation won’t be that bad in Roanoke and the north and west areas, but we will still be on the lookout for possible slippery roads. Winter weather warnings have been posted in these areas.

Any locations that pick up at least a quarter inch of ice are most at risk for power outages because of the extra weight that ice adds to power lines.

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It’s a good idea to have candles, flashlights, extra blankets, warm clothes, and other supplies in case you lose power.

While the precipitation ends tonight, the chances of slippery spots will continue until Sunday morning due to temperatures around or below freezing.

We expect the temperature to warm up nicely on Valentine’s Day with highs in the 1940s in the forecast. There could be a few light showers for any date night plans you have.

The next opportunity for winter weather comes from Monday evening to Tuesday morning.

This looks like another limit temperature event. Look for a winter mix to start with, but as the temperature rises we’ll see a transition to rain before the precipitation stops around noon.

We have a completely dry day in the forecast for Wednesday, but Thursday and Friday there will be more opportunities for precipitation.