WINTRY WEATHER INCOMING

(This paragraph is an update just before 5am Tuesday: Yay for the warm nose aloft as I have 41 degrees this morning. However, getting reports of significant icing, and I do mean significant, starting with counties just east of us, which are now in an Ice Storm Warning. We will not be having icing issues this morning here in ACA, but after heavy rain today we still have the snow to deal with Wednesday. Count your blessings...)
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Precipitation arrives in western NC this evening and stays through Wednesday.  It's a particularly wet system with many areas in the mountains expected to pick up 1.5"-3" of rain...or should I say 'liquid equivalent'.

We've obviously been much colder and below freezing a lot recently, so a nice warm ground temperature isn't in place to help out.  There are two concerns for Apple Creek for this period. (click images below to enlarge)

Concern #1:  Freezing rain.  The freezing rain advisory is in place for us from 9pm tonight through 9am Tuesday.  The freezing rain could start as early as late this afternoon.  Ice amounts for our area don't look to be enough to be a problem for our roads, but even IF enough froze to make slick spots, there is nothing that can be done treatment-wise given that in time it goes to all rain.  Let nature run its course with melting and hope we don't get power outages.

ICE ACCUMULATION FORECAST

Concern #2:  Accumulating snow.  The backside of this system is forecast to switch to all snow by daybreak Wednesday, and ACA is presently in a 2-4" accumulation range, the 2" being toward the entrance and 4" at the top.  With the significant amounts of rain that will fall preceding that, an icy bottom to any snow amounts is a big possibility, so Apple Creek Road will warrant very cautious driving on Wednesday.  A lot of us have big holiday travel concerns both in and out of ACA on Wednesday, including myself...check back for updates.

SNOW ACCUMULATION FORECAST

I will update as needed late this afternoon.

Bob