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Flood Watch Ends Soon, Then Potentially Six Inches of Snow Forecasted for Thursday’s Winter Storm Watch

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Jon Edmisten of the Beaverdam community and employee with the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Boone Bridge Department clears Hubert Thomas Road of debris on Wednesday morning. Heavy rainfall caused the Watauga River to rise. Photo by Jesse Wood

By Jesse Wood

Jan. 16, 2012. Employees with the N.C. Department of Transportation are out and about on Wednesday morning clearing debris from bridges after the recent heavy rains.

The flood watch/warning issued by the National Weather Service is still in effect until 11 a.m. and rain is supposed to taper off this afternoon.

Boone has had almost three inches of rain in the past three days. Zionville has had more than four inches; Blowing Rock and Green Valley more than three inches; and Deep Gap three inches, according to Ray’s Weather archives. 

But soon though, the weather will turn cold, morphing any precipitation into snowfall to the glee of the local ski resorts that have suffered from the extremely warm temperatures in the past week. 

And with this forecast, the National Weather Service has issued another release – a Winter Storm Watch. 

From Thursday morning through late Thursday night, heavy snow is expected in the High Country with a potential accumulation of up to six inches by Thursday evening, according to the storm watch.

Ray’s Weather mentioned that 3 to 6 inches is in the forecast. However, elevations over 5,000 feet could possibly see up to 10 inches. 

“Again, there is much uncertainty in this potent, dynamic, fast-moving scenario,” the website reads. 

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