Athens, OH – A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect through 10 AM Tuesday as a narrow band of freezing rain moves across the Ohio–West Virginia border region, creating the potential for slick roads, icy sidewalks, and hazardous bridges during the height of the morning commute. The advisory covers key Ohio River Valley counties in southeast Ohio, northeast Kentucky, and western West Virginia, including communities such as Athens, Jackson, Gallipolis, Pomeroy, Huntington, Ripley, and Parkersburg.
According to the National Weather Service in Charleston, light precipitation is spreading into the region early this morning at the same time temperatures are hovering near or just below 32°F. This overlap is expected to produce a brief period of freezing rain before warmer air arrives, changing all precipitation to plain rain by mid-morning.
Forecasters anticipate only a light glaze of ice, generally limited to exposed surfaces like bridges, overpasses, decks, and untreated secondary roads, but even a thin coating can create dangerous conditions. Areas prone to cold-air drainage, such as low-lying valleys near the Ohio River, are most likely to remain below freezing the longest and may see the most significant impacts.
Travelers heading along US-33, US-50, US-35, and I-77 should be prepared for spotty slick patches, especially between 6 AM and 9 AM, when freezing temperatures and precipitation are most likely to overlap. Rapid improvement is expected late in the morning as temperatures climb into the mid-30s.
Meteorologists stress that while this is not a high-ice-accumulation event, timing with the commute makes it notable and potentially disruptive. Drivers are urged to slow down, allow extra time, and use caution across elevated surfaces that freeze first and thaw last.
Widespread cold rain is expected to continue through today before tapering off tonight, with dry and seasonable weather returning Wednesday.
