By WENDY HOLDREN
The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Most of Greenbrier County and higher elevations in Nicholas County can expect between 6 and 8 inches of snowfall tonight into Tuesday morning.
Eastern Fayette County, eastern Raleigh County and southeastern portions of Greenbrier can expect between 4 and 6 inches.
Charleston National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Mazza said the lowest accumulations will be seen in western Fayette and western Raleigh, with 2 to 4 inches.
“The snow will really start early Monday night over the higher terrain. Monday night into Tuesday, more snow will accumulate. A little more will add up Tuesday, and even into Tuesday night.”
Mazza said wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour can be expected today before the storm hits. Winds will be strong Tuesday afternoon and night as well, with gusts up to 25 miles per hour.
Residents in these counties should be prepared for potential power outages, which Mazza said are most likely to occur midmorning Tuesday throughout the day.
Temperatures will be in the lower 30s Tuesday, but Tuesday night will be especially chilly with temperatures dipping between 10 and 15 degrees.
“We’ve had a winter that’s mild on average, but every time you turn around, it’s cold.”
Mazza described Wednesday as another “bone cold day,” with wind chills expected to be below zero. He said the National Weather Service may soon issue a wind chill advisory.
The snow will likely stick around until Friday or Saturday, when temperatures will reach 40 degrees.
Philip Moye with Appalachian Power said based on the current forecast, Appalachian Power will move contract crews today into areas where damage to electrical facilities could occur.
Contract crews from Wheeling, Huntington and Kingsport will move into the Roanoke and Lynchburg areas, while crews from Charleston will move into Beckley.
Additional Appalachian Power crews will be on alert and prepared to travel to affected areas Tuesday morning as needed, and the company has secured commitments of support from crews in Ohio and Kentucky.
Customers can take practical steps to stay safe during outages by assembling an emergency kit with flashlights and fresh batteries; candles, matches, or lighters; water for drinking and cooking; canned goods and a manual can opener, and other supplies. A mobile cell phone charger also is useful.
In outages during very cold weather, customers can assist restoration efforts by keeping electric heating systems and water heaters turned off until several minutes after power is restored.
Additional safety tips can be found at appalachianpower.com.
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