ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, February 9, 1997               TAG: 9702100072
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: B-5  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JON CAWLEY STAFF WRITER

SLUSHY BLANKET LEAVES ROADS ALONE

The cold rain that began to fall on Southwest Virginia late Friday night quickly turned to snow, leaving the ground covered early Saturday morning.

Temperatures that hovered close to 32 degrees throughout the day kept most roads, with the exception of some slushy secondary routes, from freezing and diverted a potentially messy situation.

A low-pressure system pulled moisture out of the Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi, and snow began to accumulate as the storm tracked east across South Carolina. By the time the front reached the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Hatteras, about 4 p.m., the snow began to taper off, leaving totals that varied depending on elevation, National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Stewart said from Blacksburg.

Montgomery County received 5 inches of snow - the most in the New River Valley - but only a trace was reported in Pearisburg in Giles County. Two and a half inches fell in Roanoke, and 6 inches were measured on Catawba Mountain.

Tow truck drivers in Christiansburg were ready for a busy day. But when Robert's Towing and Repair received a scant three calls by 1p.m., many drivers went home and took a nap.

``Usually we're plumb swamped with the snow ... but today, most of my guys left,'' employee Annette Marshall said Saturday.

Virginia Department of Transportation employees said roads stayed clear as the snow moved through the area. Crews worked all day and continued through Saturday night spreading salt and chemicals as a precaution and to clear up icy spots that formed as temperatures fell into the 20s after sunset.

The Wytheville and Salem offices of the Virginia State Police reported only a few minor accidents that could be attributed to the weather.

Partly sunny skies and temperatures in the high 30s today and 40s on Monday should ensure that the frosty blanket won't stick around. Stewart warns that some computer models are showing a similar storm on the horizon, expected to reach Virginia by Thursday, but "it's pretty shaky that far out."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

LENGTH: Short :   48 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  CINDY PINKSTON STAFF. Willie Campbell sweeps snow off 
          his car Saturday morning on Gandy Drive in Northwest Roanoke. 
          Campbell said he was surprised by the amount of snow that fell 
          overnight.