The National Weather Service issued the following winter storm warning for the area on Thursday at 5:17 p.m. The warning is in effect from 6 a.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday.THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW.
SNOW… POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SLEET AND RAIN… WILL SPREAD INTO THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA… THE ADJACENT NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS… AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH CAROLINA FRIDAY MORNING. THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO FALL MAINLY AS SNOW THROUGH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON… ALTHOUGH A CHANGE TO A MIX OF SLEET AND RAIN IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS DURING THE EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF FROM SOUTH TO NORTH FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY.
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA… AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS… GENERALLY IN AREAS WEST OF INTERSTATE 26 AND ALONG AND EAST OF THE BALSAMS. ACROSS THE GREENVILLE AND PICKENS MOUNTAINS… TOTAL SLEET AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1-4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.
THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTAIN A LOT OF MOISTURE AND WILL EASILY ACCUMULATE ON TREES AND POWER LINES. IN ADDITION… NORTHEAST WINDS WILL BECOME BREEZY ON FRIDAY AND WILL REMAIN THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS MAY DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES… CREATING AREAS OF POWER OUTAGES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL… KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT… FOOD… AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.