ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 18, 1996 TAG: 9612180069
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JON CAWLEY STAFF WRITER
THE STORM SHOULD HIT this afternoon, and meteorologists expect it to stay in the region about 12 hours.
Cold air plaguing the Midwest and moisture from a strong upper level disturbance rotating up from the Gulf of Mexico look to give Western Virginia another taste of winter weather this week.
The fast-moving front, which is expected to stay in the area for only about 12 hours, should arrive late this afternoon. The heaviest period of precipitation should occur tonight and will begin to taper off Thursday.
Late Tuesday night, weather service models indicated that Western Virginia, including the New River and Roanoke valleys, can expect better than 6 inches of snow, according to Jeff Stewart, National Weather Service meteorologist in Blacksburg. "It looks like a pretty good bet." In a worst-case scenario, the area could get up to 15 inches, Stewart said.
The snow line is expected to run parallel to the Blue Ridge, from Martinsville through Lynchburg, Stewart said.
The cold arctic air blowing in from the Midwest will likely ensure the storm's effects won't be short-lived.
"When [the snow] does get on the ground, it won't be going anywhere for a while, probably through the weekend," Stewart said.
Temperatures will stay steady in the 30s today, dropping into the upper 20s during the night. Although the skies should start clearing during the morning hours Thursday, temperatures will remain in the 30s during the day and drop into the teens Thursday night, Stewart said.
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. The storm that plagued the Midwest is about to hitby CNBhere. A recreational vehicle lies on its top after careening off a
bridge on Interstate 90 near Wasta, S.D., Monday. The driver, Peter
Young of Pierre, S.D., was critically injured.