A dynamic winter storm brought ice and rain to the region Thursday – and the disruptive weather will continue to unfold in the Northeast through Christmas, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
The Virginia Department of Transportation reports that most roadways in the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands are clear as of Thursday evening. The wintry mix has melted from the majority of roads.
However, VDOT says, additional snowfall is forecast for early Friday morning, followed by extreme cold that will quickly freeze wet roads.
High winds will likely bring down trees and debris on roadways.
Due to expected black-ice conditions, VDOT advises against non-essential travel on Friday.
President Joe Biden is sending the same message telling those who wish to travel for the holiday weekend to “leave now.”
“I encourage everyone — everyone, please heed the local warnings,” said President Joe Biden. “And I know this is — you know, it’s like — this is not like a snow day, you know, when you were a kid; this is serious stuff.
“Please take this storm extremely seriously. And I don’t know whether your bosses will let you, but if you all have travel plans, leave now. I’m telling my staff, if they have plans to leave on — tomorrow — late tonight or tomorrow, I’m telling them to leave now. They can talk to me on the phone,” Biden said. “It’s not life and death. But it will be if they don’t — if they don’t get out, they may not get out.”
VDOT said if you must travel this weekend, to allow extra time to get to your destination and to prepare an emergency car kit.
VDOT also warns drivers to use extreme caution on overpasses, ramps, bridges and intersections, as well as driveways, parking lots, sidewalks and outdoor steps.
The forecast
Temperatures will plummet from Friday afternoon to Friday night with strong wind gusts. In some cases, a temperature drop of 30-50 degrees can occur in a matter of several hours.
“This is about as extreme of a temperature drop there can be in the Northeast,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said. “There is the possibility that some surfaces may not have a chance to dry off and may rapidly freeze as people head home.”
Little recovery in temperature is anticipated in the Northeast from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day and into Monday. Temperatures may not top the freezing mark until Wednesday or Thursday.
Winds on the back end of the storm that will rapidly usher in frigid air can be just as strong as the warm winds at the onset of the storm. Gusts of 40-60 mph are forecast, and AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gusts near 90 mph will be possible.
The combination of the actual temperature, wind and other weather factors will result in AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures reaching well below zero.
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Crystal Graham
