By John Dahlia
The Fairmont News
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Better late than never could very well be the best way to describe the first, official winter storm of 2017.
Typically, the Fairmont area records at least some snowfall in December. But instead, the first real accumulation is happening during the afternoon hours on Thursday, Jan. 5 and early Friday, Jan. 6.
“It’s been abnormally warm especially the last two weeks in December,” National Weather Service Meteorologist Lee Hendricks told the Fairmont News.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued a Winter Weather Advisory for all of GreaterFairmont and Marion County that began Thursday afternoon and extended into Friday. According to Hendricks, snow accumulations are ranging from 3 to 5 inches of snow.
“Of course the higher elevations in Marion County could see additional snow amounts,” Hendricks added.
Hendricks said once the storm moves past the area temperatures will drop significantly. Residents could expect lows Friday night of around 8 above.
“Behind the storm is some very cold air that we will be experiencing through the weekend,” Hendricks said.
Temperatures on Saturday are expected to reach a high near 20 during the day but then dropping to a low of 9 Saturday night. The coldest temperatures expected, according to Hendricks, will occur on Sunday evening with the mercury dropping to a low of around 0 to 5 above.
But for early next week Hendricks said temperatures will raise into the upper-30s hitting as high as 49 on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
“There’s nothing that will keep the cold air over the region because of a lack of a dominate flow,” Hendricks explained.
Please stay with the Fairmont News for the very latest winter weather and school closing details online at www.fairmontnews.com and on our Facebook page @fairmontnews.
Editor John Dahlia can be reached at 304-276-1801 or by email at