ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, December 18, 1996           TAG: 9612180080
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: A-4  EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: JON CAWLEY

COLD, SNOW TO HIT REGION LATER TODAY

Cold air plaguing the Midwest and moisture from a strong upper-level disturbance rotating up from the Gulf of Mexico may 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, according to Jan Jackson, National Weather Service meteorologist in Blacksburg. The heaviest period of precipitation should occur overnight and will begin to taper off Thursday.

"It's always tough to call, but there is some really cold arctic air coming. [Western Virginia] could end up getting a hefty amount of snow - several inches anyway," Jackson said.

The best forecast Jackson could provide placed the snow line from the Blue Ridge westward, and snow mixed with sleet to the east. The New River Valley will probably experience snow but not necessarily the Roanoke Valley, while farther east toward Lynchburg will mainly get rain, Jackson said.

Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30s to the upper 40s today and will drop into the lower 30s to the upper 20s tonight. Temperatures Thursday should hold steady in the upper 20s to lower 30s, Jackson said.

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