First Snow of 2025: Big on travel impacts; low on snow totals

(WOWK) — While the four letter ‘s’ word gets a lot of attention, especially the first snow day after a long summer, it usually rides up against higher expectations that what really happens. As we brace for a Monday morning wake up call with snow in the forecast, remember, it doesn’t take a lot of snow on the ground to cause major travel headaches when the flakes start to fly.

ALERTS:
The National Weather Service has issued Winter Weather Advisories (Purple) starting at 7 PM Sunday, November 9th through 7 AM Tuesday, November 11th. Travel impacts with icy roads and accumulations up to 1-2 inches
Winter Storm Warnings (Pink) starting at 7 PM Sunday, November 9th through 7 AM Tuesday, November 11th. Up to 4-6 inches of snow, blowing snow drifts, and difficult travel conditions.

TIMELINE:

Sunday Night: Temperatures tumble fast back into the 20s as light isolated passing showers change to snow flurries. No accumulation is expected, but icy bridges and overpasses will be possible. Ground temps remain above freezing for most surface roads.

Monday Morning: A mix of sun, clouds, and passing snow showers greet us out the door. Travel impacts will be limited to patchy black ice found mainly on bridges, overpasses, and elevated surfaces. Under squalls, early in the morning, a quick dusting of snow on these elevated surfaces is a safe bet. Wind northwest 10-15mph with occasional gusts of 25mph will push against larger vehicles. Gust of wind and a patch of ice can be tricky for drivers.

Monday Afternoon: Bands of snow squalls, brief heavy periods of snow, can reduce visibility and quickly coat surfaces in a glaze of snow. Since bridges and overpasses freeze first, these area will be the first to see light accumulations adding to the travel risks. Most roads in the lowlands will remain above freezing allowing for snow to melt between each passing squall line.

Monday Evening through Tuesday Morning: As the sun begins to set, we lose its power to warm our roads. With ground temps falling below freezing and snow squall passing through, accumulations are a safe bet. Snow melt from the day will also quickly freeze on roads creating pockets of icy spots. East of I-77, a dusting to 1 inch on elevated surfaces can be expected. Roads will be passible, but slick spots will creep up on you.

Along the I-77 corridor, 1-2 inches of snow, mainly on grassy surfaces is a safe bet. Roads will be passible, but slow going as squalls can coat surfaces quickly. Each mile will be slightly different, especially towards the mountain ridgelines.

Northeast along I-79, snow totals increase up to 2-3 inches on hilltops, 1-2 inches in the valley’s. Icy travel, some blinding snow squalls, and overnight accumulations will complicate travel.

East of the WV Turnpike towards the WV mountains, elevation plays a huge part. Above 2,800 feet, 2-3 inches of snow is a good bet. Up to 4-6 inches as your work up towards 4,500 feet on the westward facing side of ridgelines and mountains.

IMPACTS:

• Black Ice Monday morning and again Monday night through Tuesday
• Blinding snow squalls reducing visibility for several minutes to near zero
• Bitter wind chills in the teens leading to frostbite risks Sunday night through Tuesday
• Light accumulating snows on elevated surfaces for the lowlands
• Moderate accumulations across hilltops and mountains, even on roads
• High travel impacts simply for being the first snow of the season

NOTE: While snow is a great attention getter, it often gets hyped far beyond what really happens the first time out. Simply stating the first snow catches folks off guard while traveling. Expect some slick spots, slow traffic, and a few accidents. As for snowmen making, school closing, shutdown interstate snows, we’ll just have to wait for that. Or head to the ski resorts high in the WV mountains come Tuesday morning. This event is just our first introduction to the 2025/26 winter season. Dust off the ice scrapers, air out the winter jackets, and remember the posted speed limit comes with the understanding that roads are clear & dry. When they aren’t, slow down.