Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 4, 1995 TAG: 9502060047
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Weather forecasters said the precipitation would begin as freezing rain and snow Friday night, and turn to all snow by today.
How big will the storm be?
Mostly, it depends on where you live.
In the Alleghany Highlands and Rockbridge County, a snowfall of 4 to 8 inches was forecast.
``It will be about 1 to 3 inches [in the Roanoke Valley] before it is over,'' said Michael Emlaw, warning and coordinating meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The New River Valley is expected to get the same amount.
Emlaw said that Roanoke and Southwest Virginia escaped the center of the storm. But he said that many areas in the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia will be hit harder.
Close behind the storm will be a blast of arctic air. Temperatures are expected to plummet to the teens by late Sunday, where they are expected to remain through early next week. At the same time, winds of 40 mph are forecast, which would result in a wind-chill factor of 10 to 20 degrees below zero.
At the Food Lion store at 7208 Williamson Road in Roanoke, the lines were longer than usual Friday afternoon.
``Some of them are definitely here [because of the weather forecast],'' said Gina Edwards, customer service manager for Food Lion.
But some residents in the Garden City neighborhood said they weren't worried about being snowed in with no food.
``I don't think they are worried. One television station has already called off the snow,'' a clerk said.
The Virginia Department of Transportation and Roanoke city had their snowplows ready.
Gov. George Allen activated the National Guard. ``It is important that we prepare for the severe weather,'' he said.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for portions of the Shenandoah Valley and Northern Virginia. These areas could see up to a foot of snow.
by CNB