The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley Terry Biller from TJ’s Tire clears some snow from the sidewalk that runs alongside the business Wednesday morning on 11th Street.

ELKINS — Area residents who woke up to heavy, wet snow blanketing the ground and trees Wednesday morning can now expect the potential of flooding as rain is expected to make its way through the region this weekend.

According to the National Weather Service in Charleston, the immediate Elkins area saw from 2 to 3 and a half inches of snow Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

A large portion of the snow began to fall right around the time residents were getting off work Tuesday evening, which caused several accidents throughout Randolph, Tucker and Pocahontas counties. Tucker County saw between 2 to 4 and a half inches of snow from the storm front, while Pocahontas County received between 5 to 8 inches of snow.

“We were busy all over the place responding to accidents yesterday (Tuesday) evening,” Randolph County Sheriff Rob Elbon told The Inter-Mountain. “The roads were really slushy and wet, and I think people didn’t anticipate how bad they were. Once you got that slush under your tires it sucked you right off into the ditch. We had calls all over the county, three or four at one time right when that snow was hitting.”

Schools in Randolph, Upshur and Barbour counties were operating on two-hour delays, while schools in Tucker and Pocahontas County were closed.

Simone Lewis, a meteorologist with the NWS, told The Inter-Mountain on Wednesday that overnight rain will continue before it tapers off later today. She added that Friday looks to be dry before more rain comes in over the weekend that could lead to more flooding.

“When we get into Saturday and Sunday we have a very potent system that is going to move into the state,” said Lewis. “That one might start out as a wintry mix on early Saturday before it transitions over to rain during the afternoon hours. That is looking to bring the potential of a couple inches of rain to the area, and possible flooding issues.”

Lewis said that Saturday’s high temperatures are expected to be close to 50 degrees before things cool off considerably by late Sunday night and early Monday morning.

“It’s going to be in the upper 40s to low 50s on Saturday and the same thing for Sunday during the day,” she said. “But on Sunday night there is going to be a cold front come through the state and that is going to bring the temperatures down significantly. By Monday morning you’re looking at low temperatures in the single digits to lower teens.”

The combination of snow melt and rain on Saturday could lead to local rises along creeks, streams and rivers. Eldon said it’s important that motorists remember to avoid any high water in the roads if flooding does return over the weekend.

“Don’t drive in the high water,” he said. “Emergency responders had to do several water rescues during this most recent flooding. When people decide to try and drive through water its puts a lot of people at risk, not only the motorists, but the first responders and tow truck drivers.”