Oak Ridge Today

Snow possible in Oak Ridge

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Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

One to two inches of snow are possible in Oak Ridge early Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

A significant snowstorm is expected late Sunday night and Monday morning, the NWS said.

“Heavy snowfall rates can be expected early Monday morning that will limit visibilities to near zero at times,” the Weather Service said.

More snow is expected in other areas, especially to the north and east of Oak Ridge, with six to eight inches expected in the Gatlinburg area and four to six inches in Greeneville and Johnson City.

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Snow possible Saturday night

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Road crews on Friday prepared roads for possible winter weather, including a potential snow, on Saturday, March 11, 2017. This picture was taken on Wisconsin Avenue on Friday afternoon, March 10. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

Road crews on Friday prepared roads for possible winter weather, including a potential snow, on Saturday, March 11, 2017. This picture was taken on Wisconsin Avenue on Friday afternoon, March 10. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

On Friday, crews prepared roads for possible winter weather this weekend in Oak Ridge and East Tennessee, potentially including snow on Saturday.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said winter will return this weekend with snowfall expected Saturday night across most of the region. Snow accumulations of one to three inches are possible across the Tennessee Valley and Cumberland Plateau, and three to six inches are possible in the Great Smoky Mountains. [Read more…]

Updated: Few inches of snow possible through Saturday, NWS says

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snowfall-totals-jan-6-7-2017

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…]

Oak Ridge schools open Friday; Clinton, Anderson schools closed

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Oak Ridge Schools Logo

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. [Read more…]

Winter storm warning issued; 3 to 5 inches of snow possible

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Snowfall-Amounts-Friday-Saturday-Jan-21-2016

Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

 

Note: This story was last updated at 3:54 p.m.

A winter storm warning has been issued for Anderson, Knox, Roane, and other counties starting Friday afternoon, and three to five inches of snow is possible in the area, forecasters said.

The winter storm warning goes into effect at 1 p.m. Friday and continues through 7 p.m. Saturday. It’s been upgraded from a winter weather advisory.

A strong winter storm is expected to affect the region starting late Thursday night (January 21) and continuing through early Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

The winter storm warning also applies to Loudon, northwest Blount, and north Sevier counties, among other counties, and it includes the cities of Clinton, Kingston, Oak Ridge, Knoxville, Lenoir City, Maryville, and Sevierville. (See the winter storm warning here.) [Read more…]

Anderson government closed; Y-12, Oak Ridge, UCOR, DOE, ORAU start late

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Snow in Oak Ridge on Feb. 26, 2015

Several inches of snow fell in Oak Ridge and across East Tennessee overnight. (Photo by Bruce Phillips)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:23 a.m.

Several inches of snow fell in East Tennessee overnight, and there are more closings and delays because of weather and road conditions.

The Y-12 National Security Complex is still clearing some areas at the site. Non-essential employees should delay arrival at the site until 11 a.m. UPF Offsite Offices also should delay until 11 a.m. Personnel are urged to use caution when driving and walking throughout the site and to use designated snow routes.

Anderson County government offices will be closed Thursday. The Roane County Courthouse is also closed. [Read more…]

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…]

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…]

Winter storm warning in effect for mountains, heavy snowfall possible

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A winter storm warning is in effect in the mountains of East Tennessee, southwest Virginia, and western North Carolina from Friday to Saturday night, and up to 15 inches of snow is possible at elevations above 5,000 feet, forecasters said.

Snowfall of between four to eight inches is expected for locations above 2,500 feet, including Interstate 40 in North Carolina and I-26 in Unicoi County, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown. Up to 12-15 inches of snow is possible on the highest peaks above 5,000 feet, including U.S. Highway 441 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. [Read more…]

Most snow in about 15 years, Weather Service says

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Snowman at Blankenship Field

Kids build a snowman at Blankenship Field on Thursday morning after more than eight inches of snow fell in Oak Ridge. From left are Killian Fillmore, Andrew Bivens, Gavin Hensley, and Liam Hensley.

Note: This story was last updated at 5:02 p.m. with more photos.

More than eight inches of snow fell in parts of Oak Ridge between Wednesday night and Thursday morning as a major winter storm hit the Southeast, and there were reports of as much as 10 to 12 inches in parts of Anderson County. A meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Morristown said it’s the most snow in East Tennessee in more than a decade.

“It’s been about 15 years since we’ve had a snow like this,” NWS Meteorologist David Hotz said. “This is definitely one of the best ones we’ve had in quite a while.”

The last snowfall of a similar magnitude that he could recall was in either 1998 or 1999.

Other big snowfalls include the historic 1993 storm and a winter storm in 1996 that dumped 15 to 17 inches.

More than eight inches of snow fell in parts of Oak Ridge between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and there were reports of as much as 10 to 12 inches in parts of Anderson County. A meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Morristown said it's the most snow in East Tennessee in more than a decade. "It's been about 15 years since we've had a snow like this," NWS Meteorologist David Hotz said. “This is definitely one of the best ones we’ve had in quite a while.” The last snowfall of a similar magnitude that he could recall was in either 1998 or 1999. Other big snowfalls include the historic 1993 storm and a 1996 storm that dumped 15 to 17 inches. The wet, heavy snow that started falling in Oak Ridge at about 7 p.m. Wednesday—it was the second round of snow that day—continued into Thursday morning. But with temperatures rising Thursday morning and the sun coming out, much of the snow was quickly melting. Still, many roads, particularly side streets, still had slush on them, and there were a few slippery spots. Crews from the Oak Ridge Public Works Department worked all day Wednesday, through the night, and into Thursday morning. They put down two layers of brine, or highly salted water, before the snow started and switched to salt trucks and snow plows once the snow started falling. Public Works Department Gary Cinder said there were no major problems. “It’s been a calm event," Cinder said. "It was a heavy snow. It was deep enough that we could push it, and it was wet enough that it would slide easily. It wasn’t sticking because of the brine.” It might have helped that many people stayed off the roads as many offices, schools, and businesses closed early on Wednesday—if they hadn't already been closed for the day—and remained closed on Thursday. Cinder said the Public Works Department was able to keep the main streets relatively clear. At times, the snow was heavy enough, though, that the snow was recovering roads that crews had already plowed. “A lot of times, they just had to go back and forth," Cinder said. Cinder said there were a few trees down and a few isolated power outages. In Anderson County, Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Anderson County Highway Department were working to clear the snow, but roads remained hazardous. "Travel is not advised," Lucas said in a Thursday morning e-mail. "We had several reports of minor accidents with cars off in the ditch or stuck in the snow, but since the snow didn't begin to fall until the evening hours, traffic was light. There also have been a few trees down as well." Lucas said there were also some power outages overnight, but it appeared that the Clinton Utilities Board had most of those restored except for a few isolated areas. He advised residents to check with CUB for details and said power outages can be viewed at http://outage.clintonub.com. Deputies went to their "snow plan" Wednesday evening and are patrolling the county in four-wheel-drive vehicles. "We are responding only to accidents with injury or those that are a significant traffic hazard," Lucas said. Cinder said Oak Ridge has eight trucks outfitted with snow plows in the front and salt spreaders in the back. The city has two bins that, when fully loaded, can store 2,400 tons of salt. Oak Ridge has plenty of salt for the rest of the winter, he said. There about 220 miles of roads in Oak Ridge and crews focus first on main streets and state routes such as Illinois Avenue and Oak Ridge Turnpike, then collector city streets such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Florida avenues, and then neighborhood side—if the snow lasts long enough and is heavy enough. The number of lane miles that crews have to take care of is double the road mileage because crews have to go up streets in one lane and then back down them in another. Hotz, the meteorologist, said water on East Tennessee roads could re-freeze tonight as the temperature drops into the 20s and that could cause problems, including black ice, especially on secondary streets that still have slush. Drivers should use caution when driving tonight, especially on secondary streets, although well-traveled roads and interstates should be in good shape, Hotz said. He said there could be another smaller storm system late Friday and Friday night. It could start with rain that changes over to snow, and there could be some light accumulations in East Tennessee valleys, but more snow is expected in the mountains, Hotz said. The temperature is expected to warm back up into the 50s and lower 60s next week, Hotz said.

Crews from the Oak Ridge Public Works Department worked all day Wednesday and through the night into Thursday to clear roads, including South Illinois Avenue, as more than eight inches of snow fell in parts of the city.

The wet, heavy snow that started falling in Oak Ridge at about 7 p.m. Wednesday—it was the second round of snow that day—continued into Thursday morning. But with temperatures rising Thursday morning and the sun coming out, much of the snow was quickly melting.

Still, many roads, particularly side streets, still had slush on them, and there were a few slippery spots.

Crews from the Oak Ridge Public Works Department worked all day Wednesday, through the night, and into Thursday morning. They put down two layers of brine, or highly salted water, before the snow started and switched to salt trucks and snow plows once the snow started falling.

Public Works Department Gary Cinder said there were no major problems. [Read more…]

Significant snowfall possible, forecasters say; one to five inches locally

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A major winter storm hitting the Southeast on Tuesday and Wednesday could dump three to five inches in the Tennessee Valley and southern Cumberland Plateau, and six to nine inches in the mountains, the National Weather Service in Morristown said.

Accumulations in Anderson and Roane counties could range between one and five inches from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning. Knoxville and Knox County are expected to get between three and five inches.

The forecast near Oak Ridge calls for a 20 percent chance of snow as early as Tuesday night, with a low of 26 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of snow all day, with a high of 36 and a low of 27. The chance of snow falls to 20 percent on Thursday, with a high of 43.

A local winter storm watch is in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday. [Read more…]

Light snowfall blankets Oak Ridge, Thanksgiving cold but sunny

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Centrifuge Way Snow

A light layer of snow blankets the ground Wednesday morning at the Centrifuge Way interchange with South Illinois Avenue.

A light snowfall blanketed Oak Ridge on Wednesday morning.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said the snow would diminish to flurries this morning, and snow would primarily accumulate on grassy surfaces, except at higher elevations.

On Monday, the Weather Service had warned that a strong regional storm system could bring heavy rain, sleet, and snow to East Tennessee and southwest Virginia early this week. [Read more…]