CLEANUP—Workers for the Town of Sparta were busy cleaning up Main Street on Monday. More snow photos appear on Page 5A. Photo by Coby LaRue

Alleghany County could see more wintery precipitation; freezing rain appears likely

While Alleghany remains coated with snow as of Tuesday, it appears that the wintery precipitation forecast for Christmas Eve will be freezing rain.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Anita Silverman said Tuesday that the county may still have some snow remaining from last weekend's significant snowfall on Christmas, but a front moving through on Christmas Eve will bring freezing rain around midnight that will continue through midday on Christmas Day. Overnight lows are expected to be in the upper 20s, with Christmas Day highs in the mid 30s. Silverman said the precipitation could make travel dangerous for the holidays, but how significant the event would be was still subject to speculation. She said the freezing rain likely would change over to rain by midday Friday.

Silverman said the county had an average of 12 to 14 inches of snow on Friday and Saturday. Heavier snowfall was reported as the storm tracked northward, with most of the eastern U.S. receiving snowfall. The last time this much snow fell over this large of an area was in 1996, Silverman added.

In Alleghany, WCOK (1060 AM) reported 13 inches of snow, although some reports to the station registered as much as 18 inches.

As the rain joins the snow already on the ground, Silverman said there is a threat of flooding. Creeks and rivers are expected to rise throughout the weekend, with the snow melt and rainfall combining to bring the flooding potential.

The weather is expected to clear by Saturday, but high temperatures are expected to remain at 40 or below through Monday with lows in the upper teens.