Oak Ridge Today

Chance of snow 100 percent today, black ice possible Friday

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Winter Storm Snow Forecast

Forecasters say air moving into the southern Appalachians will turn rain into snow by this afternoon. (Image courtesy of National Weather Service in Morristown.)

There is a 100 percent chance of snow in the Oak Ridge area today as cold air moves into the southern Appalachians, turning rain showers into snow by this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

The rain will start turning to snow by about 2 to 3 p.m., and the precipitation should be all snow by about 4 to 5 p.m., said Derek Eisentrout, spokesperson for the National Weather Service in Morristown. He said the snow should start tapering off by 7 or 8 p.m.

The Weather Service doesn’t expect a lot of snow in the Oak Ridge area, forecasting about a one-inch accumulation.

A major concern for forecasters is the black ice  that could be on roads tomorrow morning as temperatures plunge into the 20s overnight.

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Snow possible today, but not likely on Christmas, forecasters say

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There is a slight chance of snow this morning and again this evening, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

The NWS says the chance of precipitation is 20 percent, and that could mean snow before 1 p.m., rain this afternoon, and snow and rain after 5 p.m.

There were very light snow flurries in Oak Ridge  at about 3:30 a.m. today (Friday).

Forecasters do not expect snow on Christmas. The forecast now calls for a 30 percent chance of showers on Christmas Day, with a high near 52.

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Hurricane Sandy brings snow, cold air

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Winter Storm Warning

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for southwest Virginia and the East Tennessee mountains through 8 a.m. Wednesday. (Image courtesy of the National Weather Service)

Snow has already fallen in the Great Smoky Mountains, and temperatures in Oak Ridge and Anderson County are expected to dip into the low- to mid-30s through Friday as Hurricane Sandy moves into the mid-Atlantic and brings cold air to the Southern Appalachians, the National Weather Service said Monday.

The NWS said Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall along the central New Jersey coast later this evening or tonight, and produce a life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-strength winds, and heavy snowfall in the Appalachian Mountains.

Forecasters have issued a winter storm warning for southwest Virginia and the East Tennessee mountains through 8 a.m. Wednesday. A winter weather advisory is in effect for parts of northeast Tennessee from 8 p.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Several flights from McGhee Tyson Airport to the northeastern United States have been delayed or canceled today due to the storm.

“This is expected to be the first of many flights inpacted by Hurricane Sandy over the next few days,” the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority said on its website.

National Weather Service forecasters said blizzard conditions are possible at elevations above 3,000 feet in East Tennessee.

The seven-day forecast for Anderson County said rain or snow showers are possible tonight and Tuesday.

The National Weather Service said the heavy snowfall is expected to be dependent upon elevation, with no snowfall or light accumulations in most valleys.

The airport authority said most airlines are waiving flight change fees if passengers rebook by Nov. 4, but each airline is slightly different in this policy “so visit your airline’s site for more specific information.”