Almost 1 inch of snow, freezing rain expected in Asheville Jan. 5-6, weather service says

Will Hofmann, Asheville Citizen Times
·1 min read
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ASHEVILLE - Parts of Buncombe County can expect to receive nearly an inch of "snow and freezing rain" through the night of Jan. 5, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Doug Outlaw.

"Friday evening, up until around midnight, we are expecting a little bit of snow by that time at the Asheville Airport. Basically a tenth of an inch," Outlaw said. "In the late night hours Friday night, we are getting close to an inch in accumulation across Buncombe County."

Predicted snow amounts by 7 a.m. on Jan. 6, according to the National Weather Service.
Predicted snow amounts by 7 a.m. on Jan. 6, according to the National Weather Service.

Outlaw said the county should expect to see about 0.8 of an inch of mixed snow and freezing rain, with "more snow in some areas and more freezing rain in other areas." The switch from snow to freezing rain will occur around 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., he said, with warmer temperatures bringing cold rain for most of the region by 5 a.m. the morning of Jan. 6.

Some areas will still receive freezing rain or snow during this period, with the western part of Buncombe County warming up first and eventually bringing cold rain at 7 a.m., while Black Mountain can still expect some freezing rain around this time. For Buncombe, the "chance of freezing rain is pretty much wiped out by 9 a.m. Saturday," Outlaw said.

The predominant weather outlook at 1 a.m. on Jan 6, according to the National Weather Service.
The predominant weather outlook at 1 a.m. on Jan 6, according to the National Weather Service.

The current chance of precipitation is 90%, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

This year, a strong El Niño has been brought the possibility of further winter weather in the region, where a recent drought has been slowly eroded due to frequent low pressure systems moving toward the South, Outlaw said. Another "big storm" is expected for the region "early to mid next week."

Currently, there is a 80% chance of rain the night of Jan. 8.

Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. 

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville to see nearly an inch of snow, freezing rain this weekend