It looks like Asheville and western North Carolina will be in another phase of winter weather this weekend, but it’s expected to be more on the fluffy side instead of icy.
The National Weather Service’s confidence of snow in the North Carolina mountains is increasing as measurable snowfall forecasts for Jan. 30-Feb. 1 continue to increase on Thursday, Jan. 29. At 6:30 a.m., the weather service issued a winter storm warning for all of North Carolina and South Carolina, including the South Carolina area. Carolina.
“A winter storm watch has been issued for our entire region from 4 p.m. Friday through Saturday night. Significant snow accumulations and driving conditions are expected. In the interim, our “cold wave” persists: below normal temperatures continue,” read a social media post for the National Weather Service.
A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for western North Carolina from Friday, January 30 through Sunday, February 1, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Here’s what to expect in this latest storm system.
Forecasts indicate that the Asheville area could see some snowfall after 2pm on Friday, January 30, but the main event is expected to roll in later that evening and into the early morning hours of Saturday, January 30.
“Forecasts are growing confident that a significant snowstorm will affect much of the Carolinas in southeastern Virginia this weekend, with more uncertainty along the coast,” read a post from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Forecast Center.
Not only is snow on the way, but another arctic blast will bring temperatures back into the single digits overnight in western North Carolina.
Here’s a look at the weather service’s latest forecast as of 7 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 29:
TToday, January 29: Increasingly cloudy, with a high near 35. North-northwest wind 6 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. Light north wind.
Friday, January 30: A 20% chance of snow after 2 p.m., with a high near 38. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Friday night, January 30: Chance of snow, mainly after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. North wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of rain is 70%. About an inch of new snow accumulation is possible.
Saturday, January 31st: A chance of snow, mostly cloudy before 1 p.m., with a high near 22. North-northwest wind 8 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of rain is 70%.
Saturday night, January 31: A 20% chance of snow before 3 pm Mostly cloudy, with a low around 5. Blustery.
sunday, February 1: Sunny, with a high near 22. blurred
Sunday night, February 1: Mostly clear, low around 8.
Along with freezing temperatures during this snow event, the snow is expected to be dry and powdery, which is not suitable for construction, the National Weather Service said.
“This will be an unusually cold snow event with snow-to-liquid ratios (SLRs) of 15:1 to 20:1. This means that for every inch of liquid you get 15-20 inches of snow. So we need much less liquid (0.15-0.2″) to get to 3″, which would also be too dry for snow. Sledding and skiing, but weak to make snowballs,” read the weather service’s post.
Accumulation projections are volatile, but the latest predictions are Show total snowfall in between 4 and 7 inches east of I-26 and in between 2 and 4 inches in the rest of the area.
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This article originally appeared in the Asheville Citizen Times: Winter Storm Issue for Western NC. How much snow will fall, when?
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