Mostly cloudy. A chance of freezing rain with a slight chance of sleet after midnight. Lows in the lower 20s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
Christmas Day
Freezing rain. Sleet likely in the morning...then rain in the afternoon. Ice accumulation around one quarter of an inch. Highs in the mid 30s. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.
Friday Night
Rain. Lows in the mid 30s. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.
Saturday
Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain. Highs in the upper 30s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
... Winter Storm Watch remains in effect from late tonight through Friday afternoon...
A Winter Storm Watch remains in effect from late tonight through Friday afternoon.
* Precip type... freezing rain.
* Accumulations... at least a quarter inch of ice possible.
* Timing... late Thursday night through Friday afternoon... potentially continuing into early Friday evening in some of the deeper valleys.
* Temperatures... will start in the mid to upper 20s and slowly rise into the lower 30s during the day Friday.
* Winds... 10 to 15 mph for the valleys. Gusts 30 to 40 mph for ridges above 2000 feet on Friday.
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for significant ice accumulations that may impact travel. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts.
Peloquin
Special Weather Statement
Statement as of 6:45 AM EST on December 24, 2009
... Patchy dense fog will cause slick spots on roadways this morning...
Patchy dense fog has formed across portions of the central Shenandoah Valley... and adjacent valley locations in the foothills and Potomac Highlands. Expect patchy dense fog to continue across the area until an hour or so after sunrise... with visibility at times being reduced to under one quarter of a mile in some locations. With temperatures well below freezing... in the teens... across the area... this fog may lead to patches of ice on untreated surfaces.
In addition... temperatures rose above freezing across much of the area Wednesday... causing some of the snow from this past weekends storm to melt. With the sub-freezing temperatures this morning... any water from the melted snow has likely re- frozen... forming patches of ice.
Any roadways... bridges and overpasses... and sidewalks that have not been treated may be very slippery early this morning.
Motorists should exercise extreme caution... and be prepared for sudden reductions in visibility. Be aware of the potential to encounter patches of ice early this morning. Be especially cautious of black ice... which is particularly hard to detect.
The re-freezing of snow melt and slush is expected again tomorrow night as overnight temperatures will fall into the teens and twenties once again.