Charleston, West Virginia – Ice is building on bridges and mountain roads this morning, creating slick travel along I-64 and I-77 as a wintry mix sweeps across much of the state.
According to the National Weather Service in Charleston, a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain will affect lowland areas today before transitioning to plain rain. However, higher elevations of the mountains and the eastern slopes will remain locked in a wintry mix through Tuesday morning, with a significant ice storm expected in those areas.
In Charleston, Huntington and Parkersburg, precipitation will gradually change to rain as temperatures rise above freezing. Even so, untreated roads and elevated surfaces may remain slick through midday. Farther south and east, including Beckley, Bluefield and along the I-64 corridor toward Lewisburg, freezing rain could produce light to moderate ice accumulation.
The greatest concern centers on the higher terrain near Elkins and along Corridor H, where ice accretion may approach a quarter inch in spots. That level of icing can weigh down tree limbs and power lines, increasing the risk of scattered outages. Travel along US-19 and mountain stretches of I-79 may become hazardous, particularly overnight into early Tuesday.
Drivers should delay non-essential travel in the mountains, reduce speed on bridges and overpasses, and prepare for rapidly changing road conditions. Conditions are expected to improve in the lowlands later today, but mountain communities may contend with icing until temperatures rise Tuesday morning. Additional advisories remain possible as the system evolves.
