Winter Weather on It's Way

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for most of the state Tuesday into Wednesday as a Nor’easter makes its way across the mid west and into the northeast.

Meteorologist Ken Batty of the NWS said much of the state will experience light to moderate rain showers throughout the day Tuesday that will increase into the evening hours.

The northern panhandle is the exception as they are experiencing colder temperatures already bringing them snow. Areas near Wheeling and Weirton will continue to see snowfall throughout the day Tuesday into Wednesday.

The forecast is expected to change overnight, however, as cold air moves into West Virginia.

“The colder air will rush in tonight and change the participation from rain to snow, say, in the tri-state around Huntington and in the Ohio River counties like Parkersburg to Huntington before midnight,” Betty said.

“Then, it will reach the southern coalfields and the I-79 corridor from Charleston to Morgantown late tonight,” he added. “Everybody should be involved in wind blown snow and snow showers on Wednesday.”

Batty said Tuesday’s evening commute will consist of steady rain, but snow will accumulate by morning making for a slower travel.

Accumulation overnight and into Wednesday could total in the double digits in the northern panhandle and mountain counties with 5 to 10 inches expected in the central lowlands and southern coalfields.

Only flurries are expected in the eastern panhandle.

Batty expects most of the precipitation to finish by tomorrow morning, making for fair travel conditions Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday.