Nelson County, Virginia
The weather office at the North Pole is busy this Christmas Eve as Santa’s meteorological team is looking over the weather across North America and right here in Virginia. Just as people across the state are recovering from a major snowstorm last weekend, another winter storm is shaping up with predictions of icing late tonight into Christmas Day. Though it appears Central Virginia, including Nelson, will miss the direct hit of this weather system, several hours of icy weather is possible especially for people living on and either side of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The National Weather Service has already issued a Winter Storm Watch for much of the area beginning later tonight. Though the valley areas of Nelson were not technically included in the watch area by late Wednesday night, the BRP and all locations west, north and south were. Amherst County has the potential to pick up heavy icing with amounts ranging from 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch of ice. Conditions may change on Christmas Eve that include areas well east of the BRP in a watch or advisory.
Temperatures will be critical with this storm and a degree or two will make all of the difference in what form, how much, and how long it lasts.
Current thinking is that all precipitation will turn to plain rain by the afternoon hours Christmas Day. But, that may present another set of problems, flooding. With a substantial snowpack in place in both the mountains and valley, large amounts of melting snow combined with rainfall could produce some flooding.
We will be updating this developing storm throughout the day and night Christmas Eve, so keep checking here and on our Facebook and Twitter feeds for the latest.
The latest over in Tommy’s Audio Weather by clicking here.
Stay safe and Merry Christmas!!
Tommy
