Charleston, West Virginia – Temperatures across much of West Virginia and the surrounding Ohio Valley will plunge well below freezing late Tuesday night, threatening early spring crops and exposed plumbing before sunrise Wednesday.
According to the National Weather Service in Charleston, a Freeze Warning takes effect at 11 p.m. Tuesday and remains in place until 10 a.m. Wednesday for large portions of West Virginia along with parts of northeast Kentucky, southeast Ohio and southwest Virginia. Overnight lows could drop to around 25°F, cold enough to damage budding trees, gardens and other sensitive vegetation.
The warning stretches from Huntington and Charleston north through Parkersburg and Clarksburg, and east toward Elkins and Buckhannon, covering dozens of counties statewide. Communities including Teays Valley, Logan, Ripley, Bridgeport and Point Pleasant are all expected to see sub-freezing temperatures by early Wednesday morning.
Gardeners and homeowners should cover or bring inside tender plants and disconnect outdoor hoses where possible. Exposed outdoor pipes and irrigation lines could freeze if left unprotected overnight.
Drivers heading out early Wednesday may also encounter pockets of frost on bridges and rural roads as temperatures dip into the mid-20s.
Conditions should gradually warm later Wednesday morning as sunshine returns, but the cold start highlights the ongoing risk of springtime freezes across the Appalachian region. Additional advisories could be issued if another cold night develops later this week.
