arlwx12

Snow flurries in south Arlington. Visibility about 1 mile.

DCA has hit 32. Frost has formed on cars and grass in Arlington.

Despite the NWS noting freezing fog potential for the DC suburbs, it was 35 at DCA with 3 mile visibility. Here in Arlington, the visibility is well over the half-mile to the nearby hilltop.

In Arlington, I think elevation had some impact. Far western Arlington (about 300-350 elevation): 3.5 West of Lake Barcroft (about 250-300 elevation): 2.5 Me (about 100 feet up from DCA): about an inch and a half DCA (just about on the river): 1.0 ((Of course, when I saw the predicted temperatures, I figured DCA didn't have much of a chance. I'm a bit surprised it managed to get an inch despite not hitting 32 for an extended period until shortly before 5 am.))

Thanks!

I Meant LWX. ((Is there some way to edit postings??))

I see LX took down the WWAs for Washington and immediate Baltimore metros.

Took a look out my window uphill from DCA. Looks like around an inch and a half stuck to tree branches and car tops. My Hill of Doom got covered, but it looks like Arlington came through and salted the center of the roadway into submission. Sidewalks vary. Some partially or fully resisted, others did not.

HOW did that car/grasstopper sneak up on me in South Arlington? At least the streets and sidewalks are still clear.

One listing of closings and delays: Closings

DCA finally went down to 34.

I'd guess a 50/50 mix near DCA. Still melting on cars, though.

meant mixing, Not maxing.

OOH! I think there are actual snowflakes maxing in near DCA!

Snip of the 320 LWX AFD... As of 315am, light snow has been observed over the Alleghenies with light to moderate pockets of shower/drizzle over the Shenandoah Valley. Elsewhere, cloud cover continues to increase with some virga as the atmospheric profile begins to moisten with large scale ascent ahead of the approaching upper level trough. Precipitation should begin as a mixture of light rain and snow for most, with all snow above around 1500 feet. Expect precipitation to remain relatively light through mid to late morning then turning steadier later this afternoon as the main lift from the trough/coastal low move overhead. Surface temperatures will initially be in the mid to upper 30s at lower elevations, and should hold in the mid 30s through mid-late afternoon (prior to 6pm). As a result, much of the region will experience several hours of mixed rain and snow "white rain" that won`t accumulate and will largely be unimpactful other than making for wet roads. However, snow will accumulate across the higher elevations (i.e Catoctins, Alleghenies, and crest of the Blue Ridge) above 1500 feet throughout the day. Temperatures will gradually fall later this afternoon and evening as dynamical cooling ensue from the approaching coastal low and upper level trough. The large scale ascent from these features will allow the atmospheric column to cool allowing for the rain/snow mix to transition over to all snow across the forecast region. Temperatures will fall from the mid 30s into the upper 20s and low 30s during this time as the heaviest precipitation moves in Ratios will also climb during this time with 1:1-5:1 ratios outside of the elevations above 1500 feet during the day climbing to 8:1 to 13:1 overnight into Monday morning. Either way expect a wet character to the snow given the high liquid equivalent. This will make it hard to pick up with a shovel (heart attack snow) compared to pushing with a plow or removing with a snow blower. The greatest impact from snow locally is expected later this evening through predawn Monday morning as the coastal low tracks off the Delmarva and the upper axis trough moves overhead. Expect two areas of enhanced snowfall: one with the coastal low that will encompass the western shore of the bay up into the northeast/central MD and another with the inverted trough (or norlun trough) across the Catoctin/Potomac Highlands. In addition to this expect heavy upslope snow/squalls over the Alleghenies given strong north/northwest flow. The first area of enhanced snowfall rates will be close to Chesapeake Bay, where mid- level frontogenetic forcing to northwest of the coastal low will be strongest. Uncertainty remains in how far west this area of heavier snow gets, but most solutions show it only impacting the counties immediately adjacent to Chesapeake Bay in our forecast area (St.Mary`s northward through Cecil). Snowfall rates could approach an 1-2 inches per hour at times in this area between roughly 7 PM and 3 AM. Near blizzard conditions are also possible with gales over the waters and gusts in excess of 30-40 mph. The second area of enhanced snowfall rates will be along an inverted trough axis (sometimes referred to as a Norlun trough) that will extend north to south through north-central portions of the forecast area. Dynamically, this will occur along a low-level trough axis (in the 900-700 hPa layer) where northeasterly winds in response to the developing coastal low offshore converge with northwesterly winds advancing beneath the upper trough. Model guidance remains in good agreement that such a feature will occur, but there is still some uncertainty with respect to the positioning. 00z CAMS have trended slightly west with this features extending from Washington/Frederick counties down through Jefferson/Loudoun/Fauquier counties. Such features typically are very, very narrow in width (likely only 10-20 miles from west to east), and are notorious for producing very heavy snowfall rates. Most guidance shows hourly QPF values of around 0.2- 0.4 inches, which would translate to 1-2 inches per hour of snow. This feature will likely be either stationary or very slow moving over several hours tomorrow evening into early tomorrow night. A narrow band of 6-12 inches could occur as a result. Due to position uncertainty, we spread this enhancement in precipitation out over a slightly wider location than will likely occur in reality. Our current forecast hedges the placement slightly more toward the eastern solution (Washington County to Loudoun County), but has an enhancement over that broader region. This is also why the Winter Storm Warning extends southward in Fauquier Co. and wraps around the DC Metro area. The immediate DC Metro will likely fall within a relative min between these two areas of precipitation enhancement, but will still experience several hours of accumulating snow this evening into tonight. Another localized minimum will be between the inverted trough and the Allegheny Front where downslope flow could diminish accumulations especially in eastern Mineral and eastern Grant counties. Very little in the way of snow may end up falling in the shadow of the mountains just to the east of the Allegheny Front and also in the Central Shenandoah Valley. Snow totals will be heavily elevation and snow rate dependent. With such marginal temperatures in place, a lot of the snow will be lost to melting at lower elevations with surface temperatures above freezing, while higher elevations have lower temperatures and accumulate more efficiently. Snowfall: 2-4 inches is expected in the DC Metro, although there could be locally lower totals at the lowest elevations if warmer temperatures and lighter precipitation rates verify. 4-7 inches is expected along the Bay shore from St. Mary`s northward through Baltimore City, with higher totals of 6-12" from Carroll eastward toward Cecil. Higher totals of 8-16 inches are expected in the Catoctins, where snow will accumulate more efficiently throughout the event. Snow will also accumulate efficiently southward along the Blue Ridge, where a general 6-12 inches of snow is expected. To the west of the Blue Ridge, snow totals will be heavily elevation dependent, with 3-6 inches expected at higher elevations between the Allegheny Front and Blue Ridge, while lower elevations in the Central Shenandoah Valley and Potomac Highlands see little in the way of accumulation. A general 1-3 inches is expected at lower elevations along the I-70 corridor to the west of the Blue Ridge, with the exception of near Hagerstown, where they could receive significantly more snow under the inverted trough. For now, that inverted trough area which extends southward from near Hagerstown into Frederick and Loudoun is forecast to receive around 3-6", but as mentioned before, the gradient will likely be tighter than depicted, and the max there will likely be between 6 and 12 inches. In the Alleghenies Winter Storm Warnings are in effect. Snow will linger much longer there throughout Monday within upslope flow behind the departing low. Snowfall accumulations there are expected to reach 6-12 inches by Monday evening. Elsewhere, snow should wind down by mid-morning Monday.

LWX's latest guess for DCA is 2.5. Why? I think it's the temperatures. Latest estimates are 35 at 6 pm, 33 at 9 pm, 32 finally at midnight. Mixed with rain throughout the night, so snow depth may be lower. Of course, things COULD change.

Snip of the 434 LWX AFD... Forecast details: Precipitation is expected to break out from west to east across the region late tonight into early tomorrow morning as large scale ascent ahead of the approaching upper trough gradually overspreads the area. Precipitation should begin as a mixture of light rain and snow for most, with all snow above around 1500 feet. Surface temperatures will initially be in the mid to upper 30s at lower elevations, and should hold in the mid 30s through mid-afternoon. As a result, much of the region will experience several hours of mixed rain and snow that won`t accumulate and will largely be unimpactful other than making the roads wet. However, snow will accumulate across the higher elevations above 1500 feet throughout the day. As we move into the late afternoon and evening, a combination of factors will enable temperatures to start to fall. First, we will start to lose solar insolation as the sun angle drops and the sun eventually sets. Second, low-level cold advection will increase as the upper trough approaches from the west and the coastal low intensifies offshore, drawing colder air into the region within northerly flow. Finally, increasing large scale lift ahead of the upper trough and to northwest of the developing coastal will act to dynamically cool the column. This will result in a gradual changeover to all snow from higher to lower elevations through the late afternoon and evening hours as temperatures fall from the middle to lower 30s. The heaviest precipitation locally is expected Sunday evening through the first half of Sunday night as the coastal low tracks off the Delmarva and the upper axis trough moves overhead. Two locally enhanced areas of precipitation are expected within a much broader precipitation shield that will encompass most of the forecast area. The first area of enhanced snowfall rates will be close to Chesapeake Bay, where mid- level frontogenetic forcing to northwest of the coastal low will be strongest. There is a bit of uncertainty about how just far west this area of heavier snow gets, but most solutions show it only impacting the counties immediately adjacent to Chesapeake Bay in our forecast area (St. Mary`s northward through Cecil). Snowfall rates could approach an inch per hour at times in this area between roughly 6 PM and 2 AM. The second area of enhanced snowfall rates will be along an inverted trough axis (sometimes referred to as a Norlun trough) that will extend north to south through north-central portions of the forecast area. Dynamically, this will occur along a low- level trough axis (in the 900-700 hPa layer) where northeasterly winds in response to the developing coastal low offshore converge with northwesterly winds advancing beneath the upper trough. Model guidance is in very good agreement that such a feature will occur, but there is still some uncertainty with respect to the positioning. Such features typically are very, very narrow in width (likely only 10-20 miles from west to east), and are notorious for producing very heavy snowfall rates. Most guidance shows hourly QPF values of around 0.1-0.2 inches, which would translate to 1-2 inches per hour of snow. This feature will likely be either stationary or very slow moving over several hours tomorrow evening into early tomorrow night. A narrow band of 6-12 inches could occur as a result. Due to position uncertainty, we spread this enhancement in precipitation out over a slightly wider location than will likely occur in reality. American model guidance (GFS, NAM, HRRR, 3 km NAM, WRF-ARW, FV3, WRF-NSSL) have this feature occurring roughly from Hancock, MD southward through Winchester toward Front Royal, while most other guidance (Euro, Canadian, ICON, most EPS members) have it occurring from near Hagerstown southward into Loudoun County. Our current forecast hedges the placement slightly more toward the eastern solution (Hagerstown to Loudoun County), but has an enhancement over that broader region. This is also why the Winter Storm Warning extends southward and wraps around the DC Metro area. The immediate DC Metro will likely fall within a relative min between these two areas of precipitation enhancement, but will still experience several hours of accumulating snow tomorrow evening into tomorrow night. Another localized minimum will be between the inverted trough and the Allegheny Front. Very little in the way of snow may end up falling in the shadow of the mountains just to the east of the Allegheny Front and also in the Central Shenandoah Valley. Across the entire forecast area, snow totals will be heavily elevation and snow rate dependent. With such marginal temperatures in place, a lot of the snow will be lost to melting at lower elevations with surface temperatures above freezing, while higher elevations have lower temperatures and accumulate more efficiently. The aforementioned heavier snowfall rate areas (closer to the low and near the inverted trough) will help to drive dynamic cooling through strong lifting in the column, thereby bringing cooler temperatures down to lower elevations, and making snowfall accumulate more efficiently. In terms of specific accumulation amounts, a general 2-4 inches is expected in the DC Metro, although there could be locally lower totals at the lowest elevations if warmer temperatures and lighter precipitation rates verify. 4-6 inches is expected along the Bay shore from St. Mary`s northward through Baltimore City, with higher totals of 6-12" from Carroll eastward toward Cecil. Higher totals of 8-16 inches are expected in the Catoctins, where snow will accumulate more efficiently throughout the event. Snow will also accumulate efficiently southward along the Blue Ridge, where a general 6-10 inches of snow is expected. To the west of the Blue Ridge, snow totals will be heavily elevation dependent, with 3-6 inches expected at higher elevations between the Allegheny Front and Blue Ridge, while lower elevations in the Central Shenandoah Valley and Potomac Highlands see little in the way of accumulation. A general 1-3 inches is expected at lower elevations along the I-70 corridor to the west of the Blue Ridge, with the exception of near Hagerstown, where they could receive significantly more snow under the inverted trough. For now, that inverted trough area which extends southward from near Hagerstown into Frederick and Loudoun is forecast to receive around 3-6", but as mentioned before, the gradient will likely be tighter than depicted, and the max there will likely be between 6 and 12 inches. In the Alleghenies Winter Storm Warnings are in effect. Snow will linger much longer there through the day Monday within upslope flow behind the departing low. Snowfall accumulations there are expected to reach 6-12 inches by Monday evening. Elsewhere, snow should wind down late tomorrow night through mid-morning Monday.

Blizzard warnings for VA Eastern Shore... URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Wakefield VA 242 PM EST Sat Feb 21 2026 VAZ100-220345- /O.UPG.KAKQ.WS.A.0003.260222T1500Z-260224T0000Z/ /O.NEW.KAKQ.BZ.W.0001.260222T1800Z-260224T0000Z/ Northampton- 242 PM EST Sat Feb 21 2026 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO 7 PM EST MONDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations between 3 and 6 inches. Winds gusting as high as 45 to 50 mph. * WHERE...Northampton County. * WHEN...From 1 PM Sunday to 7 PM EST Monday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commutes. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle. Call 511 for road information. && $$ URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Wakefield VA 242 PM EST Sat Feb 21 2026 VAZ099-220345- /O.UPG.KAKQ.WS.A.0003.260222T1500Z-260224T0000Z/ /O.NEW.KAKQ.BZ.W.0001.260222T1800Z-260224T0000Z/ Accomack- 242 PM EST Sat Feb 21 2026 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO 7 PM EST MONDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches. Winds gusting as high as 45 to 50 mph. * WHERE...Accomack County. * WHEN...From 1 PM Sunday to 7 PM EST Monday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commutes. Gusty winds could bring down tree branche

Also a blizzard warning for parts of DE/PA... URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ 154 PM EST Sat Feb 21 2026 DEZ002-NJZ017>019-021-220800- /O.UPG.KPHI.WS.W.0002.260222T1500Z-260223T2300Z/ /O.EXA.KPHI.BZ.W.0001.260222T1500Z-260223T2300Z/ Kent-Gloucester-Camden-Northwestern Burlington-Cumberland- Including the cities of Moorestown, Glassboro, Dover, Cherry Hill, Mount Holly, Millville, and Camden 154 PM EST Sat Feb 21 2026 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM SUNDAY TO 6 PM EST MONDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations between 14 and 20 inches. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph. * WHERE...In Delaware, Kent County. In New Jersey, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Northwestern Burlington Counties. * WHEN...From 10 AM Sunday to 6 PM EST Monday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commutes. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.

Snip from the latest LWX AFD... Winter Storm Watches have been expanded along the remaining western shore of Maryland given a slight westward progression amongst the guidance. Overall the 00z model suite remains fairly consistent on the track of low pressure from the southeast U.S later today and off the Carolina coast tonight before shifting north toward the Delmarva coast Sunday afternoon into Sunday night. Some questions remain in how close to the coast the low pressure system is and it`s interaction with an inverted trough that looks to set up in the vicinity of the area Sunday evening into Monday. The 00z Canadian and European solutions continue to trend a little closer to coast with the low pressure system similar to the NAM/GFS counterparts. Even with that said, the low still remains 200-400 NM away from Washington DC and Baltimore, pulling the bullseye of substantial snow toward areas east of the I-95 corridor. Precipitation is expected to develop across the area predawn Sunday morning on the north side of developing surface low pressure to the southeast. It should be initially fall as rain or rain/snow mix as the low-levels will be too warm. In addition, the precipitation intensity initially will be light, so that any snow that falls will have a difficult time accumulating on roads other than grassy areas or at high elevations above 1500 feet. Most of the Sunday should be wet with a snow/rain mix falling at temperatures around 34 to 38 degrees. Any impactful snow (especially to road surfaces) looks to hold off until late Sunday evening into Monday morning. Lows Sunday night into Monday will fall close to freezing with teens and 20s over the mountains. This is when low pressure deepens off the coast and the upper level trough/inverted surface trough swings through. The wild card here is the interaction between these features with most of the guidance showing a narrow corridor of strong lift between central/northern MD down through northern VA and into the VA northern neck. This area seems to have the least amount of uncertainty with respect to QPF according to the latest 00Z EPS/GEFS ensembles with QPF amounts generally around three quarters of an inch liquid equivalent. While snow ratios will likely BE lower than normal (less than 10:1 especially to start), potential banding may offset lower ratios and more marginal temperatures Sunday night into Monday morning as colder air pushes in. General model consensus remains at a widespread 2 to 5 inches of snow along and north of I- 66/US-50 with lesser amounts in the Shenandoah Valley/central VA Piedmont and higher amounts along the western favored slopes of the Alleghenies as well as east of I-95. The probabilities for 4" of snow remain between 60 and 80 percent over the Alleghenies/crest of the Blue Ridge with 40-50 percent probs further east into the metro areas. These numbers come down into the 35 to 45 percent range for 6" with the highest percentages over the mountains and east of the I- 95 corridor. Any wiggle in track and placement of the inverted trough could move the needle up or down for these totals. Given the variability any warning or advisory decisions will likely be made on the day shift today or at the latest this evening. The snow will likely continue through Sunday night before tapering in intensity or exiting the area around daybreak Monday. Gusty NW winds 25-40 mph) will follow Monday in the wake of the storm. Elsewhere, light snow is expected Sunday night tapering off after midnight from west to east, except in the mountain areas where upslope flow will continue to generate snow showers. Highs Monday warm back into the mid 30s and low 40s outside the mountains. Overnight lows Monday night fall back into the teens and low 20s and cold air advection returns in the wake of the system.

First guesses from the DC-area TV stations: Channel 4: EURO 2.2 (for downtown) Channel 5: 3-5 (more to the east) Channel 7: Graf 2.0, Euro 2.5, NAM 6.2, GFS 13.0 Channel 9: 2-6 (more to the east)

Snip of WX;s300AFD: Winter Storm Watches have been issued for the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains, north central and northeast Maryland, and the Catoctin Mountains for Sunday into Monday. Gale Watch has also been issued for the Chesapeake Bay and the lower tidal Potomac River. && .KEY MESSAGES... -1) Winter Storm Watches have been issued for parts of the area Sunday into Monday. && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1...Winter Storm Watches have been issued for parts of the area Sunday into Monday. No notable changes were observed with the 12Z guidance with respect to the low pressure fcst to develop off the NC coast Sunday with the GFS remaining on its world and the Canadian and ECMWF models showing similar scenarios. While the Canadian and ECMWF models trended a little closer to the coast with the position of the low center, they still remain a good distance from Washington DC, roughly 300 nm, so that the sweet spot of this storm remains far east from our area. Precip is expected to develop across the area Sunday morning on the north side of developing sfc low pressure to the southeast. It should be initially fall as rain or rain/snow mix as low- levels will be too warm. In addition, the precip intensity initially will be light, so that any snow that falls will have a difficult time accumulating on roads other than grassy areas or at high elevations. Most of the day Sunday should be like that with snow falling at temperatures around 34 at light intensity. Sunday night, upper level trough will be digging across the OH Valley and Mid-Atlantic states and provide strong lift to generate widespread light to moderate snow. The best low-level and upper level forcing will be focused across the area of northern central and northeast MD along an inverted-trof axis. This area seems to have the least amount of uncertainty with respect to QPF according to the latest 12Z EPS ensembles with QPF amounts generally around half inch liquid equivalent. While snow ratios will likely lower than normal, potential banding may offset lower ratios and more marginal temperatures. The snow will likely continue through Sunday night before tapering in intensity or exiting the area around daybreak Monday. Gusty NW winds will follow Monday in the wake of the storm. Elsewhere, light snow is expected Sunday night tapering off after midnight from west to east, except in the mountain areas where upslope flow will continue to generate snow snowers.

OOH! GMA3 featured the prospect of a noreaster from DC to Boston! ((as a warminista,. hoping this means DCA gets 2 inches on car tops...))

LWX's latest list of WSWs... URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 1204 PM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 MDZ509-510-VAZ503-WVZ501-505-210115- /O.NEW.KLWX.WS.A.0003.260222T0600Z-260223T2300Z/ Western Garrett-Eastern Garrett-Western Highland-Western Grant- Western Pendleton- 1204 PM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 6 inches or more possible. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. * WHERE...In Maryland, Eastern Garrett and Western Garrett Counties. In Virginia, Western Highland County. In West Virginia, Western Grant and Western Pendleton Counties. * WHEN...From late Saturday night through Monday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. && $$ URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 1204 PM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 VAZ507-508-210115- /O.NEW.KLWX.WS.A.0003.260222T1100Z-260223T1100Z/ Northern Virginia Blue Ridge-Central Virginia Blue Ridge- 1204 PM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT... * WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 5 inches or more possible. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. * WHERE...Central Virginia Blue Ridge and Northern Virginia Blue Ridge. * WHEN...From Sunday morning through late Sunday night. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. && $$ LFR URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 1131 AM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 PAZ074-076-WVZ510>514-210315- /O.NEW.KPBZ.WS.A.0003.260222T0600Z-260224T0600Z/ Higher Elevations of Westmoreland-Higher Elevations of Fayette- Ridges of Eastern Monongalia and Northwestern Preston-Preston- Eastern Preston-Western Tucker-Eastern Tucker- Including the cities of Donegal, Ohiopyle, Kingwood, Ligonier, Champion, Hendricks, Bruceton Mills, Terra Alta, Davis, Thomas, Canaan Valley, Coopers Rock, Rowlesburg, Parsons, Saint George, and Hazelton 1131 AM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT... * WHAT...An extended period of snow for high terrain. More than 6 inches of snow is favored for Sunday through Monday. * WHERE...Portions of southwest Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. * WHEN...From late Saturday night through late Monday night. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning commute. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Highest accumulations are most likely for grassy surfaces in the high terrain. Snow totals may vary largely from valleys to ridgetops. Snow most likely to stick to roads and sidewalks Sunday night. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. && $$ Milcarek URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Charleston WV 1126 AM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 WVZ027-028-030-032-039-040-515>526-210300- /O.NEW.KRLX.WS.A.0004.260222T0600Z-260224T0000Z/ Clay-Braxton-Lewis-Taylor-Upshur-Barbour-Northwest Raleigh- Southeast Raleigh-Northwest Fayette-Southeast Fayette-Northwest Nicholas-Southeast Nicholas-Northwest Webster-Southeast Webster- Northwest Pocahontas-Southeast Pocahontas-Northwest Randolph- Southeast Randolph- Including the cities of Grafton, Beckley, Philippi, Craigsville, Sophia, Webster Springs, Bradley, Weston, Cowen, Holly River State Park, Richwood, Belington, Marlinton, Harman, Burnsville, Clay, Oak Hill, Birch River, Sutton, Elkins, Montgomery, Gassaway, Buckhannon, Snowshoe, Meadow Bridge, Summersville, Prosperity, and Fayetteville 1126 AM EST Fri Feb 20 2026 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Heavy lake effect snow possible. Total snow accumulations between 5 and 12 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. * WHERE...Portions of central, northeast, northern, and southeast West Virginia. * WHEN...From late Saturday night through Monday evening. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. Persons should delay all travel if possible. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution and be prepared for sudden changes in visibility. Leave plenty of room between you and the motorist ahead of you, and allow extra time to reach your destination. Avoid sudden braking or acceleration, and be especially cautious on hills or when making turns. Make sure your car is winterized and in good working order. During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally heavy snow to dry weather just a few miles away. Visibilities can also vary greatly. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions. && $$ ARJ

The next AFD should be out a bit before 4 pm.