Charleston, W.Va. — Accumulating snow spread across central and eastern West Virginia early Friday, creating hazardous travel along U.S. 19, I-64, and U.S. 219 as a winter system pushes through the region into Saturday morning.
The National Weather Service in Charleston said a low-pressure system tracking across the Ohio Valley delivers widespread snow beginning Friday morning and continuing into early Saturday. Mountain counties see the highest totals, with 4 to 8 inches expected from Summersville through Snowshoe, while lower elevations pick up 1 to 4 inches with locally higher amounts.
The most significant impacts focus along U.S. 19 from Sutton to Summersville, I-64 from Beckley through Lewisburg, and U.S. 219 from Lewisburg north through Elkins. Snow intensifies Friday afternoon and evening, reducing visibility and increasing braking distances, especially on untreated roads and bridges.
Communities affected include Charleston, Beckley, Summersville, Lewisburg, Elkins, Flatwoods, and Snowshoe. Higher ridges experience blowing snow as gusty winds accompany the system, causing drifting and rapid re-accumulation even after plows pass.
The West Virginia Division of Highways warned that road conditions deteriorate quickly after sunset Friday as temperatures fall and snow becomes more powdery. Elevated routes and mountain passes turn slick first, particularly along Route 39 and secondary roads in Nicholas and Pocahontas counties.
Snow tapers early Saturday morning, but an Arctic front follows closely behind. Temperatures drop sharply Saturday with wind chills falling into the single digits and below zero in the mountains, allowing refreeze on area roads.
Travel conditions gradually improve Saturday afternoon, but lingering slick spots remain through the weekend as cold air locks in across central and eastern West Virginia.
