Some snow forecast for Asheville Sunday, winter warnings for Graham, Swain, Avery
ASHEVILLE - Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be greeted with a dusting of snow early Jan. 15, but not enough to stick or cause major headaches, according to the National Weather Service.
Road should be pretty clear since most government offices and city and county schools are closed in observance of the holiday.
But there is a winter warning in effect for Graham and Swain counties in the far west and Avery county in the northern reaches of Western North Carolina, meteorologist Rodney Hinson with the NWS in Greer, South Carolina, said Jan. 14.
"We’re expecting in the high elevations above 3,500 feet as much as 6-10 inches of snow, and the lower elevations in the valleys, 1-3 inches. Winds aren’t going to be too bad. Lows are expected in the mid-upper 20s and the high (Jan. 15) in the mid-low 30s," Hinson said.
There are winter weather advisories for Mitchell, Yancey, Madison, Haywood, Jackson and Macon counties. These areas to the north and west of Buncombe are expected to get 1-3 inches, and possibly 4 inches of snow in areas above 3,500 feet elevation.
Asheville sits at an elevation of about 2,200 feet.
Asheville and Buncombe County will see some snow coming into tonight, Hinson said.
MLK Day event: Asheville desegregation leader at MLK event: US can afford health care, food for all
"The snow will be changing to a mix with freezing rain and sleet by morning and all rain by the afternoon. Buncombe County, the upper French Broad River area maybe up to ¼ inch of rain. Maybe a 1/5 inch in Transylvania County and the upper French Broad River Valley. It shouldn’t cause any significant rising of the French Broad. It will be nothing like last week," he said of the heavy rainstorm and flooding that soaked and flooded parts of Buncombe and Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties Jan. 9.
The flooding had major impacts in Henderson County and Transylvania counties, where many roads were closed and wastewater flowed into the French Broad River. One of the largest overflows in WNC was 76,350 gallons at 273 Gallimore Road in Brevard, discharged into the French Broad. The second-largest was 54,000 gallons at 100 Sierra Nevada Way at Sierra Nevada Brewing in Fletcher, which also went into the French Broad.
But this sprinkling is expected to be much more subdued. There could be a dusting of snow across Buncombe County, with up to a half-inch in most places, and possible a couple of inches north toward Barnardsville, before turning to rain, Hinson said.
The lows tonight for Asheville tonight should be in the upper 20s, with highs Jan. 15 in the lower 40s in most places.
As of 6 p.m. Jan. 14, the Blue Ridge Parkway was completely closed in Western North Carolina, except for the so-called Asheville commuter zone, between Milepost 382 at U.S. 70 and the Folk Art Center, to MP 393/U.S. 191/Brevard Road at the N.C. Arboretum.
But with wintry weather expected along the higher elevations of the parkway, the section might be closed by morning. Check the parkway road closure website at nps.gov/blri.
Cold air to return, stay for weekend
But the sharp, cold air will return midweek, with lows in single digits the night of Jan. 16, down to around 10 in most locations, with highs Jan. 17 in the mid-30s.
"We’re not expecting anymore snow after Tuesday," Hinson said, despite the chilly temps.
The temperature will be in the upper teens Wednesday night, Jan. 17, and the lows the night of Jan. 18 in the lower 20s. There will be another round of cold air, with lows in single digits, into the weekend.
"Thursday night into Friday looks like another potential for more snow, but at this point we're not certain how much," Hinson said.
Cold weather hiking: WNC hiking: Best winter hiking spots for the holidays
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: snow forecast Asheville Buncombe County Martin Luther King Jr. Day
