The Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is closed today (Saturday, January 7) due to the weather. The Amateur Radio Kids Day scheduled for this afternoon is canceled.
The museum will call those who had birthday parties scheduled for today to reschedule.
“The safety of our visitors and staff are important to us,” the Children’s Museum said.
Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson delayed the opening of the Civic Center, Scarboro Center, and Senior Center until noon. The library also opened at noon.
More snow fell in Oak Ridge on Friday night, and parts of many roads, including Pellissippi Parkway going into Knox County, were slippery. Pictured above is South Illinois Avenue at Weigel’s gas station and convenience center just before midnight on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
More snow fell in Oak Ridge on Friday night, and parts of many roads, including Pellissippi Parkway going into Knox County, were snow-covered and slippery.
Before midnight Friday, sections of roadway were clear on Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue in central Oak Ridge, but many side streets, including heavily traveled roads like Tennessee Avenue and New York Avenue, were covered by a layer of snow. Other snow-covered roads included Tulane and Rutgers avenues, and Providence and Robertsville roads.
The National Weather Service in Morristown advised people to stay off the roads, unless travel is absolutely necessary. [Read more…]
Snow was falling in Oak Ridge at noon Friday, and more was expected through Saturday morning. Schools and government offices have announced closures and early dismissals, and sporting events have been canceled.
Oak Ridge Schools said it has staff closely monitoring the weather and the roads. If a decision is made to dismiss early, a notification will be posted on Twitter and through Skylert.
The Oak Ridge-Halls basketball games scheduled for Friday night at Wildcat Arena have been canceled and rescheduled for Monday, January 23. [Read more…]
Snow will move into the area later Friday evening and night (Jan. 6, 2017), and this map shows the current forecasted snowfall totals expected. Snowfall accumulations will be greatest along the Northern Plateau of East Tennessee and the Cumberland mountains of Southwest Virginia. With surface temperatures below freezing, snow will accumulate on untreated roads. This may result in in negative travel impacts to motorists. (Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown)
Note: This story was last updated at 11:15 a.m. Jan. 6.
A few inches of snow are possible in the Knoxville area from Thursday through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.
The potential snowfall ranges from 1.7 inches in Norris to 3.0 inches in Knoxville from Friday to Saturday morning, the NWS said.
The forecast calls for a possible 2.2 inches in Kingston, 1.6 inches in Wartburg, 3.7 inches in Maryville, and 5 inches in Gatlinburg.
A winter weather advisory was in effect from 7 p.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Friday.
Then, a winter storm watch is in effect from 1 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday. [Read more…]
A fast moving clipper will push across the southern Appalachian region late this afternoon through Friday morning. Rain showers will change to snow across Southwest Virginia this evening and snow showers will continue to spread across the area overnight. Snowfall accumulations will be greatest along the Northern Plateau of East Tennessee and the Cumberland mountains of Southwest Virginia where 1 to 3 inches are possible. Elsewhere, up to 1 inch of snow is expected across valley locations, before tapering off around sunrise Friday morning. With surface temperatures below freezing, snow will accumulate on untreated roads. This may result in in negative travel impacts to motorists, especially during the Friday morning commute. (Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown)
Note: This story was updated at 11 a.m.
A fast-moving weather system could bring snow to East Tennessee as it pushes across the southern Appalachian region late Thursday afternoon through Friday morning, forecasters said.
Rain showers will change to snow across Southwest Virginia on Thursday evening, and snow showers will continue to spread across the area overnight, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown. Snowfall accumulations will be greatest along the Northern Plateau of East Tennessee and the Cumberland mountains of Southwest Virginia, where one to three inches are possible.
Elsewhere, up to one inch of snow is expected across valley locations, before tapering off around sunrise Friday morning. [Read more…]
A series of low pressure systems will produce periods of rain, some occassionally heavy, from Monday through Wednesday. Totals exceeding three inches are possible near Chattanooga and Knoxville, while the Bristol/Tri-Cities area could see up to two inches of rain. (Image by National Weather Service in Morristown)
After months without a heavy rain, the National Weather Service in Morristown is forecasting that a series of low pressure systems will produce periods of rain, some occassionally heavy, from Monday through Wednesday.
“Totals exceeding three inches are possible near Chattanooga and Knoxville, while the Bristol/Tri-Cities area could see up to two inches of rain,” the National Weather Service said.
The last rainfall of more than one inch in the Knoxville area was July 5, or more than four months ago, according to the Weather Service. [Read more…]
Image by National Weather Service in Morristown
A few inches of rain are possible starting Monday in areas hardest hit by the drought, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.
That would be a reversal of a months-long trend as a drought persists in the Southeast. The Knoxville area hasn’t had more than one inch of rain in more than four months, or 142 days, the National Weather Service said. The last time Knoxville had more than one inch of rain was July 5.
The Weather Service said a slow-moving upper-level storm system will start affecting the region during the early to middle part of next week.
“Good chances for some beneficial rains will exist late Monday through Wednesday evening,” forecasters said. [Read more…]
The air quality forecast on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, is unhealthy for East Tennessee, including the Knoxville area, as forest fires continue to burn in the Southeast, including in East Tennessee. Yellow is moderate, orange is unhealthy for sensitive groups, and red is unhealthy. (Image courtesy AirNow.gov)
The air quality forecast on Wednesday is unhealthy for East Tennessee, including the Knoxville area, as forest fires continue to burn in the Southeast, including in East Tennessee.
The air quality conditions in the Knoxville area at about noon Wednesday were moderate, according to AirNow.gov.
The National Weather Service in Morristown said the unhealthy air quality conditions will continue across must of the area into today. People with lung disease such as asthma and children and older adults should avoid prolonged outdoor exposure to the smoke, the Weather Service said.
“Everyone should limit prolonged outdoor exertion,” the NWS said. [Read more…]
Poor air quality will exist today along the Great Smoky Mountains and the Knoxville and Chattanooga metropolitan areas due to smoke from wildfires. Everyone should pay attention to their body and limit prolonged outdoor activities. (Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown)
A smoky haze continues in East Tennessee, and an air quality alert has been issued for much of the Tennessee Valley, including the Knoxville area, because of smoke from wildfires, officials said Monday.
People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children were advised to avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion, according to the forecast on AirNow.gov.
The National Weather Service in Morristown said unhealthy air quality conditions will continue across much of the area today.
“Plumes of smoke from wildfires will continue to linger in the atmosphere across the Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachian Mountains,” the National Weather Service said. “The smoke plumes will reduce visibilities and produce poor air quality conditions.” [Read more…]
Editor’s Note: A heat wave is expected to affect our area this week. This blog post by Amy Pope, White House deputy homeland security advisor, contains information and resources that you may find useful in staying safe during the extreme heat.
By Amy Pope
As a heat wave spreads across the country this week, the federal government is working overtime to help state, regional, tribal, and local communities prepare for potential extreme-heat events.
Extreme heat affects everybody—our family, friends, and neighbors. Our nation’s most vulnerable include the elderly, children, emergency responders, outdoor workers, low-income households, athletes, and even our pets. In extreme heat conditions, simple daily activities like walking a dog (in my case, it’s our golden doodle Coco!), going for a jog, or spending time outside with the kids can be dangerous.
That’s why we’re taking the threat of extreme heat so seriously. We know if we are prepared to respond to extreme heat, we can dramatically reduce the risks to ourselves and our loved ones. The majority of heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable. We can make our communities more prepared, recognize the early warning signs of heat stroke or exhaustion, and spread the word about practical solutions and resources that are available in the face of these severe conditions. [Read more…]
There were still scattered power outages in Oak Ridge late Saturday morning, July 9, 2016, and crews were working to make repairs. Above, utility crews replace a utility pole and repair lines on Dana Drive after a large tree fell during a severe storm on Friday evening. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was last updated at 10:25 p.m.
All known power issues in Oak Ridge are repaired, the Oak Ridge Electric Department said Saturday evening.
Crews worked to restore power Saturday in what were reported to be scattered outages. If you are still without power Saturday night, please call the Oak Ridge Electric Department at (865) 425-1803.
City workers had reported scattered outages in Oak Ridge earlier Saturday after a severe storm roared through Oak Ridge Friday evening.
It wasn’t clear how many customers were affected by power outages. The Oak Ridge Police Department had reported a major power outage on Friday evening. [Read more…]
