THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 27, 1995 TAG: 9501270626
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
Some hold that forecasts of snow in Hampton Roads almost invariably bring rain. If so, Friday could be wet, because meteorologists say wintry weather is at hand.
``The first significant winter weather event'' of this season is possible late tonight and Saturday for the mid-Atlantic region, said Mark P. DeLisi of the National Weather Service in Washington.
If the Weather Service is right, some of the region will wake to white lawns on Saturday. But any accumulation will likely be short-lived.
Inland, however, forecasts for snow seem more certain. People traveling west and north of Hampton Roads Saturday should take that into account.
``Significant accumulation is possible'' from the northern Shenandoah Valley to East Central Virginia, including the Richmond area, DeLisi said.
A storm system forecast to move into the lower Mississippi River Valley tonight is expected to move toward the eastern Tennessee Appalachians on Saturday, pushing moisture into Virginia in conjunction with cold air from the north, DeLisi said.
The result may vary dramatically in this region. These storm systems often bring rain to areas closest to the ocean or the Chesapeake Bay, while places more isolated from the warmth of waterways get snow. In between, a mix falls.
The forecast for most of South Hampton Roads, Hampton and the Eastern Shore calls for increasing cloudiness this afternoon, with snow developing late tonight. The overnight low should be in the lower 30s. The chance of snow is 50 percent.
By Saturday morning, precipitation should change to a mix of rain and snow and finally to all rain. The high should be in the lower 40s, and the chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
The snow is unlikely to stay on the ground for long in Hampton Roads, DeLisi said.
Temperatures could drop back to near freezing Saturday night, raising a possibility of more frozen precipitation.
In Suffolk, Isle of Wight and Southampton counties, Newport News and Poquoson, the forecast is for a 70 percent chance of snow, beginning after midnight. The low is expected to be in the mid- to upper 20s.
Snow is more certain in central and western Virginia.
In Roanoke and Lexington, snow is expected to develop tonight, likely mixing with sleet or rain initially, then changing back to rain Saturday morning.
In Richmond, Harrisonburg and Fredericksburg, snow is likely late tonight and is expected to continue - and mix with sleet or freezing rain - on Saturday.
In Northern Virginia, light snow may begin late tonight and continue through Saturday. by CNB