PATCH — After receiving two rounds of snow this week, more wintry weather is on the way for portions of northern Virginia, northwest Virginia and eastern and panhandle West Virginia Saturday night and Sunday. Drivers are urged to stay home.
Virginia Department of Transportation Northern Virginia asks residents to drive only if it is essential overnight through Sunday morning, when the weather is expected to transition between freezing rain and rain.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for 6 a.m. to noon Sunday for Loudoun County because of freezing rain in the forecast. Up to one-tenth of an inch of ice is predicted before the precipitation switches to rain, but re-freeze is possible before the Monday morning commute.
A separate winter weather advisory for Washington, Allegany, Frederick, Clarke, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, Jefferson, and Mineral counties is in effect from 3 a.m. to noon Sunday.
Difficult travel conditions are possible if icy roads and sidewalks materialize, the weather service said.
The Virginia Department of Transportation says:
- See the latest Winter Weather Advisory from the National Weather Service for freezing rain and rain forecasted for Sunday morning. Although temperatures Sunday during the day will get above freezing, they will again drop below freezing overnight into Monday. Anything that is wet will refreeze.
- Crews will work overnight through Sunday midday to treat areas that are prone to refreezing, as well as bridges, ramps, and overpasses. Most roads already have considerable residual salt treatment from the two snowstorms earlier this week.
- The ongoing below-freezing temperatures continue to be of concern, as wet pavement surfaces can quickly become icy.
- Wind gusts will possibly bring down trees, branches, and power lines. Tree removal crews continue to remove trees from the roadway.
Reminders for Residents and Drivers:
- Monitor the forecast closely and prepare to stay off roads when the precipitation begins to avoid deteriorating conditions and to allow crews room to work. Plan to avoid nonessential travel overnight Saturday into midday Sunday.
- Residents who encounter downed trees or other debris in the road can contact the Customer Service Center at 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) or my.vdot.virginia.gov.
- If you must drive, ensure headlights are on, drive for the conditions, and be familiar with these winter driving tips.
- Monitor road conditions on www.511virginia.org or the free mobile app, or call 511 from any phone in Virginia.
Here is the NWS forecast:
Saturday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 26. South wind 7 to 9 mph.
Sunday: A chance of freezing rain before 9am, then a chance of rain or freezing rain between 9am and 10am, then rain after 10am. High near 42. South wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no ice accumulation expected.
Sunday Night: A chance of rain before 10pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 22. Southwest wind 6 to 13 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. West wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
