Oak Ridge schools open Friday; Clinton, Anderson schools closed

Note: This story was last updated at 12:25 a.m.

Oak Ridge Schools will have a regular school day on Friday, January 22, and will start on time, officials said.

Schools in the Clinton and Anderson County districts remain closed for a third day.

Roane County Schools announced that, as of Thursday evening, they planned to be open Friday.

After being closed two days, Anderson County government offices will be open on Friday.

State employees will start at regular times on Friday, but state offices that are open will close at 1 p.m. Eastern time. State offices in West Tennessee counties are closed. That’s because of the stormy weather expected to move across the state with blizzard-like conditions that could include freezing rain and heavy snowfall.

“Some agencies have facilities/offices staffed with ‘mission critical employees’ who have life, health and/or safety responsibilities that may need to report to work or remain at work,” the state said.

The Oak Ridge-Powell basketball games that had been scheduled for Friday night at Wildcat Arena have been rescheduled for Thursday, January 28.

A winter storm warning is in effect from 1 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday. Oak Ridge is among the areas affected. A strong winter storm is expected to bring a wintry mix of precipitation to the region starting Thursday night and continuing through Saturday night. The heaviest snowfall will likely occur along southwest Virginia, the southern Appalachian Mountains, and the Cumberland Plateau, with the highest amounts occurring along the highest terrain, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

Ice accumulations of up to one-tenth of an inch are possible in areas mainly north of Interstate 40.

The Weather Channel reported that the dangerous Winter Storm Jonas is expected to be a crippling snowstorm and major ice threat, especially to areas to the north and east, including upper East Tennessee and western North Carolina. Blizzard warnings have been issued for Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

See the seven-day National Weather Service forecast near Oak Ridge here.

Here is the NWS forecast near Oak Ridge for the next few days:

Thursday night: Rain before 4 a.m., then rain and snow between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., then rain after 5 a.m.. Low around 34. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Friday: Rain, snow, and sleet before 1 p.m., then rain and snow between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., then snow after 5 p.m. High near 36. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Little or no snow and sleet accumulation expected.

Friday Night: Rain and snow before 8 p.m., then rain and snow, possibly mixed with freezing rain and sleet between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., then snow after 9 p.m. Low around 27. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Saturday: Snow likely, mainly before 11 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 33. North wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 precipitation. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 42.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.

Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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