Thursday closings: Oak Ridge, Clinton, Anderson, Roane, Roane State

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Snow in Oak Ridge on Feb. 25, 2015

Snow in Oak Ridge on Feb. 25, 2015. Forecasters said heavy snow was expected across the region from Wednesday night through midday Thursday. (Photo by Mike Mahathy)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:02 a.m. Feb. 26.

Schools in Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Anderson and Roane counties will be closed on Thursday, February 26, because of the weather and road conditions.

The Anderson County Schools Central Office and Roane County Schools Central Office will both be closed.

Roane State Community College campuses will also be closed because of the weather.

ORAU’s Oak Ridge offices will open at noon on Thursday. Employees are urged to drive safely to the office. [Read more…]

Snow starts, heavy snowfall expected across region

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Widespread Heavy Snow

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Heavy snowfall is expected across much of the region starting tonight and continuing through midday Thursday, forecasters said.

Snow had already started falling in Oak Ridge sometime around 8 p.m. Wednesday. The new snow follows a few inches of snow that fell on Tuesday morning, and other wintry precipitation last week, including an icy mix on Monday and snow on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said there could be between three to six inches of snow across much of the Tennessee Valley, Cumberland Plateau, and Smoky Mountain foothills between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Higher amounts of five to eight inches are expected across southwest North Carolina and the high elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains, including U.S. Highway 441 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A winter storm warning has been issued for many counties across East Tennessee, including Anderson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane, and Union.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Snow: Oak Ridge Schools closed, city opens late, Discovery Ed Livestream postponed

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Snow Sweeper at Oak Ridge High School

A tractor with sweeping equipment helps remove snow from the Oak Ridge High School parking lot. (Photo by Julio Culiat) 

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:52 p.m. Some of these announcements continue to change. We will update this story as we can.

Oak Ridge Schools are closed today (Tuesday, February 24), and the City of Oak Ridge offices will open at 10 a.m.

Oak Ridge Schools said the Discovery Ed Livestream that had been scheduled for today has been postponed until May.

Anderson County Courthouse is closed due to weather. So is Roane State Community College. [Read more…]

Flood watch starts this afternoon after week of winter weather

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Flood Watch Feb. 21, 2015

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:31 p.m.

A flood watch will be in effect for parts of East Tennessee, including Anderson County, and parts of southwest Virginia and North Carolina starting this afternoon (Saturday, February 21) and continuing through Sunday afternoon, forecasters said.

The flood watch follows a week of winter weather that included icy precipitation on Monday, snow on Wednesday morning, bitter cold on Thursday and Friday, and more snow starting Friday night.

But the National Weather Service in Morristown said the forecast calls for melting snow and ice Saturday night in addition to rain. [Read more…]

City crews treat all streets by Thursday, now working on water main breaks

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Oak Ridge Snow Plow on Oak Ridge Turnpike on Feb. 17, 2015

An Oak Ridge snow plow is pictured above at center on Oak Ridge Turnpike, which was mostly clear on Tuesday evening, February 17. 

 

Crews from the Oak Ridge Public Works Department had treated all 230 miles of streets by the time they left work on Thursday, and they’re now battling a half-dozen small water main breaks.

Oak Ridge Public Works Director Gary Cinder said crews focused on what are known as Level 3 and Level 4 streets on Thursday. They removed all loose snow. But there could still be patches of ice on some roads, Cinder said.

“You can’t get ice off the street until you get much warmer temperatures,” he said. [Read more…]

Dangerous wind chills Wednesday night, Thursday

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Dangerous Wind Chills

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

The National Weather Service in Morristown has issued a wind chill advisory for Wednesday night and Thursday, with the wind chill forecast at five below zero to 15 below in parts of East Tennessee and southwest Virginia.

The wind chill advisory is in effect until 1 a.m. Friday, and it applies to Anderson, Campbell, Morgan, Scott, and Union counties. It includes Clinton, Oak Ridge, LaFollette, Maynardville, Oneida, and Wartburg.

There is also a winter storm watch in effect from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, bringing a threat of wintry precipitation. [Read more…]

Updated: More closures, delays Wednesday as snow falls, temperatures drop

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Winter Weather Advisory

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Note: This story was last updated at 12:56 p.m.

Many offices and schools will remain closed on Wednesday because of the weather and road conditions, and some will open late. The National Weather Service in Morristown has issued a winter weather advisory for snow on Wednesday and a wind chill watch for Wednesday night.

Schools in Oak Ridge and Clinton and Anderson and Roane counties will be closed again Wednesday. So will Roane State Community College campuses. Pellissippi State Community College will also be closed.

Anderson County Schools will be closed the rest of the week, officials said Wednesday, and the Central Office is closed as well.

Anderson County government offices and all courts will be closed Wednesday.

City of Oak Ridge offices will open at 9 a.m. City Hall in Rocky Top will close at noon Wednesday for deteriorating weather conditions. [Read more…]

Video: National Weather Service briefing on today’s winter storm

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National Weather Service Morristown

The National Weather Service in Morristown has posted a YouTube video with a briefing on today’s winter storm.

The storm is expected to dump a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the region today and tonight. Dangerous accumulations of ice and snow are expected.

A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 a.m. Tuesday. The precipitation is expected to end late this evening (Monday, February 16) or early Tuesday morning.

Another round of light snow is expected late Tuesday or Wednesday, and very cold conditions are expected later this week, with bone-chilling temperatures expected Thursday and Friday mornings.

Updated: Winter storm warning in effect; snow, sleet, freezing rain possible

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Ice Accumulation

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Note: This story was updated at 8:32 a.m. Feb. 16.

A winter storm warning is in effect in parts of East Tennessee—including Anderson, Knox, Loudon, and Roane counties—and there could be some snow this morning, possibly mixed with sleet, forecasters said. The precipitation could change to a mix of mostly freezing rain and sleet during the day, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown. It could change back to sleet or snow before tapering off.

The NWS said snow and sleet accumulations of one to four inches are possible, and total ice accumulations of a quarter to a half inch are possible.

The winter storm warning area includes Clinton and Oak Ridge, as well as Kingston and Knoxville. It also includes Jefferson, Grainger, and Union counties, and northwest Blount and north Sevier counties. The storm warning is in effect from 7 a.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday. [Read more…]

Dangerously cold wind chills through Sunday morning; snow possible this week

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Dangerously Cold Wind Chills

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Dangerously cold wind chills could drop to between 0 and -10 degrees Fahrenheit in the Tennessee Valley tonight through Sunday morning and even lower, between -10 and -25, in the mountains, forecasters said. And there is a chance of snow near Oak Ridge this week.

Those not dressed appropriately overnight could be susceptible to hypothermia or frostbite. Exposed pipes may freeze, and the cold poses a threat to outdoor pets and livestock, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

The NWS said exposed pipes should be insulated or covered, and pets and livestock should be brought in or provided shelter. Forecasters also recommended checking on the elderly or those without sufficient heat. [Read more…]

Forecast: Flurries possible this afternoon

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Weather forecasters are calling for a chance of flurries before 3 p.m. Thursday near Oak Ridge. There were already some flurries around noon Thursday.

The temperature is excepted to fall to about 32 degrees by 5 p.m., and the low tonight is forecast at around 16.

The National Weather Service in Morristown issued a special weather statement at 10:26 a.m. Thursday that said an upper-level trough of low pressure will build southeast across the southern Appalachians on Thursday, bringing colder air and just enough moist air to produce some precipitation. [Read more…]

Light snow falling in Oak Ridge

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Snowfall Forecast Feb. 2, 2015

Images courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

A light snow fell in Oak Ridge on Monday morning, and the forecast called for a 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 2 p.m.

The forecast near Oak Ridge calls for mostly cloudy skies, with a steady temperature around 34, and a northwest wind of 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

The snowfall was expected to be concentrated mainly in the higher elevations. [Read more…]