
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, December 28, 1993                   TAG: 9312280174
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

. . .AND IT'S PRETTY DARN CHILLY HERE, TOO

Winter 1993, though only a week old, has shown it means business.

With much of the nation gripped by a wave of record arctic cold, Western Virginia is braced for more snow and sleet.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for most of Southwest and West Central Virginia beginning this morning and extending into Wednesday. The forecast calls for freezing rain early today turning to heavy snow by this afternoon. An 80 percent chance of snow is forecast for tonight.

Five inches of snow has fallen in the Roanoke area this month.

Jan Jackson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Roanoke, said accumulations could reach 4 inches or more in the Roanoke and New River valleys. Motorists are urged to monitor the changing weather situation.

Laura Bullock, community affairs coordinator for the Virginia Department of Transportation's Salem District, said that while more snow than expected has fallen early this winter, it hasn't caught the department of transportation off guard. Bullock said that $40.6 million is budgeted for snow removal statewide among the nine districts.

The department has spent about $1 million in the 12-county area so far this winter, said Allen Williams, the district's maintenance engineer. That figure doesn't include work clearing snow and ice on Christmas night, he said.

by CNB