CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – UPDATE 11:30AM, 1/6: While the National Weather Service has a Winter Storm Warning for our area until 1 Tuesday morning, Accuweather’s Jeff Nordeen says the bulk of the winter storm precipitation is over. The WINA Accuweather forecast notes a period of quiet from the storm during the midday, then a return of snow later in the afternoon. Nordeen expects that snow to begin around 3 or 4pm, and drop another half- to- 1-inch of additional snow to what we have. He says dry air has been feeding into the storm, abbreviating what could have been worse and going on for much longer. He says this will give a chance for VDOT crews to make some headway on plowing and treating roads. However, he notes temperatures are going to remain near freezing and any puddles will freeze back over, especially with temperatures diving down overnight into the teens.

UPDATE 5:30AM 1/6: With the snow starting between 8 and 9 o’clock across the area Sunday night, the latest National Weather Service Winter Storm Warning advisory until 1AM Tuesday now calls for 5-to-10 inches of snow and sleet across the area, with up to 15 inches possible in places where heavy banding might set up. South of Interstate 64 in Virginia: Total snow and sleet accumulations of 2 to 5 inches and ice accretion up to two tenths of an inch.
Click here for the complete warning advisory.

UPDATE 10:30PM 1/5: With the snow starting between 8 and 9 o’clock across the area Sunday night, the latest National Weather Service Winter Storm Warning advisory until 1AM Tuesday now calls for 5-to-10 inches of snow and sleet across the area, with up to 15 inches possible in places where heavy banding might set up. The forecast ups the snow total a bit and reduces ice accumulation to one-tenth-of-an-inch south of I-64.
Click here for the complete warning advisory.

UPDATE 4:30PM, 1/5: The National Weather Service has Winter Storm Warnings posted for all central and northern Virginia locations. The Charlottesville area is under the warning beginning 6 Sunday evening through 1 Tuesday morning for heavy mixed precipitation with snow and sleet accumulations 3-to-7 inches, with amounts up 10 inches where heavy bands may set up, with highest amounts near and south of I-64. Another 1-3 inches of snow could fall Monday.
Click here for complete warning advisory.

 

UPDATE: 4:30PM 1/4: The National Weather Service now has Winter Storm Warnings posted for all central and northern Virginia locations. The Charlottesville area is under the warning beginning 6 Sunday evening through 1 Tuesday morning for heavy mixed precipitation with snow and sleet accumulations 5-to-8 inches, with amounts 10-to-12 inches where heavy bands may set up. Click here for the entire warning advisory.

 

UPDATE 10:30AM 1/4: The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch from Sunday afternoon to Monday night for snow accumulations of 5 inches or greater, with a localized band of up to 10 inches possible. Also, a-tenth-of-an-inch of ice accumulation is possible.

Click here for the entire advisory.

UPDATE 11:30AM 1/3: Still looking at a major winter storm for the area Sunday night into Monday morning. AccuWeather meteorologist Jeff Nordeen says he’s expecting about a-tenth-of-an-inch of ice along with 1-to-3 inches of snow accumulation. The impact is a slower and more dangerous Monday morning commute. He does not expect a major impact on the power grid but says the probability of isolated power outages exists. Nordeen continues any wobble of the storm to the north or south before Sunday could change that impact, so stay weather-aware through the weekend.

For today (Friday), we’re expecting some snow showers late afternoon into evening, and Nordeen says while occasional heavy snow showers could affect visibility, we’re not expecting accumulation this evening.

ORIGINAL:

Keeping an eye to the sky as the Charlottesville area could see wintry precipitation Friday afternoon into the evening, but a major winter storm is a possibility heading into next week. AccuWeather’s Jeff Nordeen says most of Friday is a mix of sun and clouds with the high earlier in the day of 46. However, temperatures head down in the afternoon when we could see some snow showers with some heavier snow showers at times. No major accumulation, but he says visibility can become reduced in the heavier snow showers.

However, weather forecasters are keeping an eye toward Sunday night into Monday morning for a winter storm. It’s still too early for an official forecast. However, some forecasts as of Thursday morning were calling for a possibility of 4-to-8 inches of possible snow accumulation in the Charlottesville area by Monday morning. AccuWeather’s Jeff Nordeen is talking a different story about a wintry mix that could become extremely hazardous for traveling. AccuWeather right now is looking at a 1-to-3 inch snow accumulation, but ice accumulation of possibly a-tenth-of-an-inch with some indicators going as high as three-tenths. He says that’s enough to bring down trees and power lines either way. So, remain weather-aware as the forecast becomes more solid over the weekend.