National Weather Service issues ‘Winter Weather Advisory’

The National Weather Service has issued a “Winter Weather Advisory” for the Asheville area, warning that “heavy snow and strong winds” are possible throughout the day of Jan. 21 into the early morning hours of Jan. 22.

The agency predicts snow accumulations of 1-2 inches for Asheville, with much more possible in the higher elevations just outside of town. It cautions that the winter weather is likely to cause dangerous driving conditions and power outages.

The Weather Service has also issued a “Wind Chill Advisory” for the local area, warning that “very cold air and strong winds will combine to generate low wind chills” that could result in frost bite and hypothermia if proper clothing is not worn outside. Rays Weather Center is predicting a low temperature of 9 degrees in Asheville Tuesday night, with wind chills dipping below zero.

Here’s the complete advisory from the National Weather Service:

Winter Weather Advisory

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE…DELAYED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
502 AM EST TUE JAN 21 2014

…HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS POSSIBLE IN PORTIONS OF THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS BEGINNING THIS MORNING…

.AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
LATE THIS MORNING…FOLLOWED BY A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH.
MOIST WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN AGAINST THE WESTERN FACING SLOPES OF
THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE BORDER BETWEEN TENNESSEE AND NORTH
CAROLINA…PRODUCING ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WHICH IS LIKELY TO
BECOME HEAVY IN SOME AREAS. WHILE THE SNOW WILL DIMINISH IN
INTENSITY LATE THIS EVENING…STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO
EARLY WEDNESDAY. THIS IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE WIND CHILLS TO FALL
BELOW ZERO. RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO RESULT IN
WIDESPREAD BLACK ICE.

BUNCOMBE-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…ASHEVILLE…SYLVA…FRANKLIN
502 AM EST TUE JAN 21 2014

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST
WEDNESDAY…

…WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON
TO NOON EST WEDNESDAY…

* LOCATIONS…BUNCOMBE…NORTHERN JACKSON AND MACON COUNTIES.

* HAZARDS…SNOW…BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILLS AND VERY WINDY
  CONDITIONS.

* TIMING…SNOW WILL BEGIN AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS LATE THIS
  MORNING. A PERIOD OF SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION THIS
  AFTERNOON…WITH SNOW SHOWERS CONFINED TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS
  LATE TONIGHT. WIND CHILL VALUES WILL BEGIN TO FALL AT HIGHER
  ELEVATIONS THIS AFTERNOON.

* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 2 INCHES…WITH A
  FEW HIGHER AMOUNTS.

* IMPACTS…SNOW WILL MAKE FOR SLIPPERY TRAVEL CONDITIONS. AS
  TEMPERATURES RAPIDLY FALL…BLACK ICE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
  ON MANY ROADS. SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES MAY OCCUR DUE TO FALLEN
  ELECTRICAL LINES. VERY LOW WIND CHILLS WILL MAKE IT DANGEROUS
  TO BE OUTSIDE FOR LONG PERIODS.

* WIND CHILL…FROM 5 BELOW TO 20 BELOW…WITH THE LOWEST WIND
  CHILLS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT.

* TEMPERATURES…FALLING INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS LATE TONIGHT.

* WINDS…NORTHWEST 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW
WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW
COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BLACK ICE MEANS THAT REFREEZING OF
ROADS WILL OCCUR…RESULTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD
BLACK ICE. BE PREPARED FOR VERY SLIPPERY ROADWAYS. SOME ROADS
THAT APPEAR CLEAR MAY BE COVERED BY A THIN LAYER OF ICE.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS
WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN
FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.
IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS…MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND
GLOVES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION FOR THE LATEST UPDATES. ADDITIONAL DETAILS
CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.