THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 12, 1996 TAG: 9601120486
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
It could be a mess.
Place to place, hour to hour, Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina will probably see virtually every type of winter precipitation this morning.
The saving grace: It should all turn to rain later today.
Far inland and to the north, however, the ongoing effort to recover from the Blizzard of '96 may take a giant step backward, if, as forecast, up to 8 inches of snow falls. And people were getting worried Thursday.
In Washington, some supermarkets have posted security guards and are rationing essentials like milk and bread to prevent hoarding and forestall a new round of shortages.
Earlier this week, with delivery trucks stalled in heavy snows, shoppers cleared the shelves of many grocery items.
Locally, the National Weather Service has issued several watches, warnings and advisories. Among them:
A winter storm warning is in effect today for much of east-central Virginia and the lower Maryland Eastern Shore, in areas north and west of a line from Franklin to Williamsburg to Ocean City.
An ice storm warning is in effect this morning for Northampton, Hertford and Gates counties in North Carolina.
A winter weather advisory is in effect this morning in Hampton Roads and on Virginia's Eastern Shore.
``The exact track of the storm is still uncertain, however, so areas of snow, ice and rain may change,'' the Weather Service said. Where snow and mixed precipitation do fall, however, the commute this morning ``will be extremely hazardous.''
And just because it's raining at your home this morning, don't assume it's raining at your destination. A difference of a few miles and a few degrees could make all the difference.
That said, this storm should be nothing like last weekend's blizzard, however. It lacks the power, and freezing temperatures have not penetrated as deeply south this weekend as last.
Snow was expected to spread over Virginia and the lower Maryland shore after midnight, the National Weather Service office in Wakefield said Thursday afternoon.
Snowfall amounts of less than 2 inches are expected in Hampton Roads before the changeover to rain. Areas to the west and north could receive between 1 to 3 inches of snow before changing to sleet, freezing rain and eventually all rain by this afternoon.
West of I-95, however, 2 to 4 inches of snow is probable before mixing with sleet, freezing rain and possibly rain by late this afternoon. And areas from Farmville to Louisa may see 4 to 6 inches of snow and only a brief change to mixed precipitation this afternoon.
In northeastern North Carolina, coastal areas will probably see a mix of rain and freezing rain early today. Just inland, however, an extended period of freezing rain is expected in Northampton, Hertford and Gates counties before changing to rain by midday. That could result in significant ice accumulations.
``This will result in hazardous traveling conditions and damage to trees and power lines by Friday morning in those counties,'' the Weather Service said.
Virginia Power was preparing for the worst Thursday.
``Trucks and other repair equipment are being readied to meet any power outages our customers may have,'' said James T. Earwood Jr., a utility official.
Major ice storms have paralyzed parts of Virginia in the past.
In February 1994, more than 200,000 homes and businesses were left without power for more than three days after an ice storm coated central and eastern Virginia.
And memories of Dec. 9, 1989, still haunt many people in western Tidewater: a crippling ice storm left thousands without electricity, some for as long as a week.
The storm was developing over the lower Mississippi Valley on Thursday afternoon and was moving east. It is forecast to reach the southern North Carolina coast by this morning and then intensify as it moves northeast along the coast. It should be just east of the Virginia Capes by early tonight.
Although cold Arctic air remained entrenched over the mid-Atlantic region Thursday afternoon, warmer air from the Atlantic Ocean should be pulled inland by the intensifying storm today, causing snow to mix with sleet and freezing rain initially and then turning it to all rain later today along coastal areas of Virginia.
In Baltimore and Washington, moderate to heavy snow should continue through midday and begin to taper off this afternoon, with 6 to 8 inches of new snow likely. ILLUSTRATION: Map
VP
Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Snowbanks piled up by plows make the job tougher Wednesday for
Richmond postal carrier Bill Smith. A 15-inch snowfall has virtually
paralyzed the Richmond area.
by CNB