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Sleet Cuts into Snow Totals; Look Ahead To More Subzero Temperatures and Snowfall; Closures on Tuesday

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Snow, sleet and ice covered the secondary roads on Tuesday morning.

 

By Jesse Wood

Feb. 17, 2015. Snowfall accumulations of last night’s winter storm were less than expected as a measurable amount of sleet and ice cut into the overall totals.

“Sleet cut into snow totals significantly Monday night (that warm layer aloft would not be denied). But don’t be fooled by the accumulation reports. It’s going to be as hard to clear as more than twice as much snow,” RaysWeather.com posted on its forecast discussion Tuesday morning.

Here is a list of regional snow/sleet/ice totals compiled by RaysWeather.com:

Ashe County
West Jefferson, 4 inches
Mount Jefferson, 5 inches
Fleetwood, 4 inches

Avery County
Sugar Mountain, 7 – 8 inches
Beech Mountain 5 inches

Watauga County
Blowing Rock, 6 inches
Boone, 4 inches
Valle Crucis, 4.5 inches
Meat Camp, 2 inches

As RaysWeather.com noted, today should give us a breather before the “next surge of Arctic air” and snowfall arrives late Wednesday morning. While a low of 11 degrees doesn’t sound like a breath of fresh air, it will be compared to the low of -5 on Wednesday and the low of -8 on Thursday.

“Snow showers and flurries last into Thursday (another dusting to one inch far east, one to three inches for most, up to five inches on mountaintops). Thursday will be the coldest day this season with dangerously cold wind chills, in the -30 to -50 range Thursday and Friday mornings,” RaysWeather.com noted.

Delays/Closures on Tuesday:

Office openings for the Town of Boone were delayed until 10 a.m.

Office openings for Watauga County weren’t delayed

ASU – Classes scheduled for after 2 p.m. will meet as scheduled

Watauga, Avery County Schools – announced Tuesday closures on Monday

For more closures and delays, click here.

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