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Storm dumps snow on local area

From staff reports

ELKINS — Traffic accidents were reported in multiple counties Tuesday after a winter storm dumped snow across the region.

Randolph County was placed under a winter weather advisory from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday, with the Randolph County Office of Emergency Management alerting citizens to the possibility of two to four inches of snow accumulating and warning them to exercise caution while driving in the potentially hazardous conditions.

Ron Skidmore of the Barbour County OEM said none of the roads in the county were closed during the day, but there were some that were “probably on the verge of it.” He added he was not aware of any trees being downed or power outages duing the storm.

“As of right now, there’s been eight (wrecks) since about 8 o’clock this morning,” he said. “We’ve had a tractor trailer on its side. We had an ambulance service provider, I don’t know which ambulance service, overturned a vehicle up on Talbott on 33 early this morning. It snowed on and off heavy times all day and then it slacks up and then it starts back again.”

Schools in Randolph County were dismissed early Tuesday because of the weather’s affect on road conditions.

Nick Webb, a meterologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston, predicted some more snow showers will be seen in our area today.

“You’ll have some clouds through at least the first half of (Wednesday), and probably some snow showers in the mountains around Elkins,” he said. “Elkins itself may see some snow showers late tonight but if they do it should taper off tomorrow morning. Accumulation in Elkins is generally half an inch or less. In the mountains late tonight and tomorrow morning, 1-2 inches.

“The bigger story is going to be the wind. The wind’s going to be increasing tonight, especially late tonight into early tomorrow with gusts 30-40 miles per hour in higher elevations, perhaps 45 miles per hour say around Snowshoe,” Webb said on Tuesday. “Windchill values look to be in the upper teens to around 20, and that’s in the Tygart Valley. It’ll be lower in the higher elevations, it’ll be more like the single digits.”

Statewide, officials were warning drivers Tuesday morning to stay off snow-slickened roads if possible.

Authorities in Kanawha and Raleigh counties issued the warnings as the number of traffic accidents mounted, news outlets reported.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for areas of West Virginia through Tuesday afternoon. The forecast called for 1-4 inches of snow.

Kanawha County Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman told WSAZ that if motorists have to be out to “please slow down.” Several crashes were reported on multiple roadways.

Meanwhile, Raleigh County 911 Director John Zilinski had the same advice for drivers there, according to WVVA-TV. He said about 20 wrecks or stranded vehicles had been reported in 20 minutes.

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