Region gripped by icy cold and wind chills as Arctic weather arrives

Dec. 24—PRINCETON — Warming stations started opening Friday and highway crews were treating roadways as Arctic temperatures and dangerous wind chills seized the region in their icy grip just before Christmas Eve.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Blacksburg,Va. predicted temperatures as low as 1 degree below zero Friday and 4 degrees below zero Friday night. Today's forecast has a high of 14 degrees and a low of 6 degrees tonight.

A wind chill warning remains in effect until 1 p.m. today. Dangerous wind chills as low as 30 degrees below zero are possible, according to the weather service. These wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. Rapidly falling temperatures could also lead to flash freezing on roadways. Highway crews in both West Virginia and Virginia were treating roadways Friday.

The wind chill warning includes Tazewell, Va. and Mercer and Summers Counties in West Virginia.

Warming stations were opened Friday with plans to continue offering them while the Arctic cold lasted. One in Princeton that had been scheduled to open 8 p.m. Friday was opened early when Arctic temperatures arrived sooner than expected.

A warming station opened Friday morning at the Karen Preservati Center on Maple Street next door to the Princeton Rescue Squad on Stafford Drive, said Mercer County Emergency Services Director Keith Gunnoe. Snacks and water will be available.

Chief of Operations Mark Brooks at the rescue squad said he had the warming center ready to be staffed until Monday morning if necessary. The weather situation has been "very fluid," he added.

"It's been like a rollercoaster," Brooks said. "We just want to be here for the community."

EMS personnel will be available for the warming station, Brooks said.

The Bluefield Union Mission is serving as a warming station for people needing to get out of the cold. Executive Director Craig Hammond said the mission had had only two requests Friday morning.

"One was a woman in a domestic dispute, and then there was a fellow who was just released from prison," Hammond said. The man had a bus ticket, but his bus had bypassed Bluefield.

"We're going to try and get him on one (today)," Hammond stated. "But so far, only two shelters. We've had a lot of requests for kerosene, coats and things like that. So far, so good. We're here and ready to go," he said. "Just show up."

No other people had sought warmth at the Union Mission by Friday afternoon.

Gunnoe said he had spoken with the Salvation Army in Princeton about offering shelter at a local motel if needed. Information will be provided at the Karen Preservati Center warming station for the Salvation Army or by calling the Mercer County 911 center's non-emergency number at 304-425-8911. Information will be made available if they show up at the warming station.

Tazewell County Emergency Services has a series of warming stations which activated Friday morning. Tazewell County residents who need a place to get warm can call Tazewell 911 at its non-emergency number, 276-988-0645. Warming stations will be in the following locations:

—Bandy Volunteer Fire Department at 3286 Bandy Road, Bandy, Va. 276-598-4706 or 276-596-9033.

—Clearfork Volunteer Fire Department at 7146 Clearfork Road, Bastian, Va. 276-970-5271 or 276-988-3473.

—Thompson Valley Volunteer Fire Department at 8905 Thompson Valley, Tazewell, Va. 276-988-4435.

—Burke's Garden Volunteer Fire Department at 6164 Burke's Garden, Tazewell, Va. 276-472-2691.

—Tazewell County Volunteer Fire Department at the Fuller Perry Building, Fairgrounds Road, Tazewell, Va. 276-264-0984.

—Richlands Police Department, 1851 Crandell Drive, Richlands, Va. 276-964-9134.

—Jewell Ridge Volunteer Fire Department. 805 Jewell Main Road, Jewell Ridge, Va. 276-881-8304 or 276-596-0362.

In McDowell County, plans were made for warming stations. People seeking a warming station will be able to call the 911 center at 304-436-4106, said 911 Deputy Director Bobby Bowman. The county's warming station partners were notified Wednesday morning and will be open if needed.

The Arctic temperatures arrived early Friday in the Mercer County area. A high of 1 degrees was reported Friday at the Mercer County Airport at 9:40 a.m., Amanda Sava, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Va. said.

Sava said temperatures would fall Friday to 2 degrees below in the daytime and then to about -7 tonight. She added wind chills in the Bluefield area will be as low as 25 degrees below zero Friday tonight.

A high of 20 degrees is expected on Christmas Day with a low of 7 degrees, according to weather service forecasts.

Sava said a wind chill warning for Bluefield remains in effect through Saturday afternoon.The gusty winds should subside later Saturday but temperatures will remain frigid. A high of about 10 degrees is expected Saturday, Christmas Eve, for Bluefield.

Some snow could remain on the ground through Christmas Eve and Christmas since temperatures will remain frigid both days.

"But at least it will be clear," she said "It will feel a little bit warmer."

Scattered power outages were reported Friday by Appalachian Power. At least two power outages were impacting some customers in Mercer and McDowell counties. Power outages were reported in the Camp Creek, Athens, Princeton and Bluefield areas.

The largest number of people effected, 120, was in the Camp Creek area as of 3:15 p.m.

More than 76 customers were impacted at that time in the Princeton area. About 20 outages were reported that same time around Bluefield.

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com