Here we go again? More snowfall likely this weekend for Lenoir County
For the third consecutive week, Kinston and Lenoir County may see rain, ice and snowfall possibly up to 1 to 2 inches.
Carl Barnes, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Newport said Friday the county will experience rainfall for the most part during the daytime. After the sun sets, he said, temperatures will begin to rapidly fall, and once the temperature reaches freezing, snow will begin mixing in with the rainfall.
“By early Saturday morning we expect a transition to all snow, and that snow could continue through, at least, through late morning Saturday. It’s a little uncertain right now when it will end,” Barnes said.
Barnes said there are still a few factors in play that could determine those amounts, a pretty large range of snowfall in his estimation.
“We do expect to have cold enough temperatures, it’s just a matter of whether or not we will have enough moisture, or how long the moisture will stay in place, that will continue to produce the snowfall,” he said.
Kinston last weekend received an accumulation around 3 inches, as well as ice and slush making road travel hazardous.
He said power outages are possible again this time around but not as much of a concern if there is freezing rain.
“We are more concerned with roadways and travel. The snow will fall, and then for Saturday, for high temperatures, we probably won’t get out of the 30s., and not get much warmer than about 40 degrees. Whatever snow does fall won’t melt very much Saturday – Saturday night is going to be very cold,” he said.
Barnes said low temperatures for Saturday night might even approach the teens, with perhaps a hard freeze occurring. In terms of what will fall, this time it will be cold rain turning to snow instead of freezing rain.
He said this third weekend of wintery weather is a current pattern with coastal lows which is expected to shift to warmer temperatures by next week.
Currently, no NWS winter storm watches or warnings have been issued. That is liable to change by tonight or tomorrow morning, according to Barnes.
This article originally appeared on Kinston/Jones Free Press: Kinston, NC weather forecast: Rain, ice, possible snow this weekend
