Weather Story

Tonight's Weather Story

Strong Northwest Winds Through Friday

Bands of Snow and Reduced Visibility on Friday

Cold Temperatures and Wind Chills This Weekend

Strong winds and snow showers will move through the region over the next 24 hours. While snow amounts will only be a dusting to 1-2 inches, the combination of high winds and potential for snow squalls could lead to rapidly worsening driving conditions Friday.

Northwest winds will continue to increase this evening and overnight, reaching peak speeds of 45 to 60 mph Friday afternoon. Wind Advisories and High Wind Warnings remain in effect until 6 PM Friday for places near and west of the James River Valley. This is likely to cause travel difficulties, especially for light weight and high-profile vehicles. There is also potential for power line and tree limb breakage. Winds gradually decrease Friday evening, but gusts will still be in the 30 to 35 mph range through Noon on Saturday.

Bands or stripes of snow showers are expected to develop before daybreak Friday, and track southeast across the area all day long. Locations under these snow bands will see visibility greatly reduced. Some places will periodically experience near zero visibility. Overall snowfall amounts should remain less than 1 inch, but a few places that get more than two showers could receive up to 2 inches.

Cold temperatures, and wind chills well below zero, are on the way for this weekend. Coldest values are expected Friday night and Saturday morning, when wind chills dip to around -20 or -25. If you have outdoor plans this weekend, be sure to bundle up and bring plenty of winter safety gear!