Charleston, West Virginia – A major winter storm is spreading across the central Appalachians and Ohio Valley, bringing heavy snow, sleet, and damaging ice that could make travel nearly impossible and trigger power outages through early Monday.
According to the National Weather Service in Charleston, Winter Storm Warnings are now in effect from Saturday morning through Monday morning across much of West Virginia, southeast Ohio, northeast Kentucky, and far southwest Virginia. Snow and sleet accumulations of 6 to 11 inches are expected across large portions of West Virginia, including Charleston, Huntington, Beckley, Clarksburg, and Elkins, with ice accumulations generally around one to two tenths of an inch. In the southern coalfields and along the Virginia border, ice totals could reach up to one-half inch, raising concerns for downed trees and power lines.
Mountain areas of Pocahontas, Randolph, Nicholas, and Webster counties face added risk as gusty winds up to 40 mph combine with snow and ice, increasing the threat of outages and making high-elevation travel extremely hazardous. Roads such as I-64, I-77, I-79, U.S. 19, and U.S. 33 are expected to deteriorate rapidly as precipitation intensifies.
Farther north and east, a separate but related storm will impact parts of southern Connecticut, northeast New Jersey, and southeast New York beginning early Sunday. The National Weather Service in New York reports snowfall totals of 12 to 16 inches through Monday evening, including areas near Westchester County and interior Connecticut, with brief sleet possible near the coast.
Across all affected regions, officials urge residents to delay non-essential travel, prepare for possible extended power outages, and plan for hazardous conditions to linger into the Monday morning commute. Winter Storm Warnings remain in effect through Monday, and additional updates are expected as the storm evolves.
