BLUEFIELD — Slightly warmer air is finally making its way back into the region.
Temperatures today will climb to about 35 degrees, and a high of 40 degrees is expected Saturday. The mercury could climb to about 44 degrees on Sunday. And fears of another big snowstorm hitting the region on Monday could prove to be unfounded as current forecast models show the Bluefield area dodging a wintry bullet.
“There will be some melting, but it’s not going to be a snow eater by any stretch,” Steve Keighton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va., said of the warmer trend expected this weekend. “With the lower 40s, and the dew temperatures remaining below freezing, it will be a slow gradual melt.”
While the rumors of an approaching storm system are true, it is looking more wet than white at the moment.
Keighton said forecast models at this point simply aren’t showing a snow event on Monday. In fact, it’s looking like just a rain event — possibly mixing with some snow later.
“Right now for the Bluefield area our best guess based on the latest information coming in is it is going to be primarily a rain event,” Keighton said. “But it is something we do need to pay close attention to if it does pick up more rain from the gulf. And on the back end of it it will get cold again, and could turn to snow.”
Keighton said forecasters will continue to closely watch the approaching storm system. However, most of the forecast models are currently showing warm air for Bluefield on Monday, which means the storm should be rain as opposed to snow. A high of 40 degrees is currently predicted for the Bluefield area on Monday. However, the rain will change to snow on Tuesday, and some snow accumulations would still be possible at that time.
While the region may dodge a bullet Monday, Keighton said one of the worse winters to hit our region in more than a decade isn’t over yet.
“We are still in the overall pattern where we could have significant winter storms on the horizon,” Keighton said. “We’ve still got plenty of cold air in place, and it could come down at any time. We have a generally strong and active southern branch of the jet stream. The overall pattern isn’t changing to the point where we are done with winter.”
– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com
Local News
February 18, 2010
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