WV/VA/MD ice storm/freezing rain

By DAN ROBINSON Editor/Photographer

Just a quick post about the freezing rain event getting started in the northeastern WV/western VA mountains tonight, one aspect of a massive storm system impacting nearly all of the US today with blizzards, high winds, tornadoes, thunderstorms and more. I elected not to photograph storms this event due to it being predominantly at night in remote mountain terrain, meaning no light for photography and video. The road ice risk is obviously pretty high, and the chances of getting stuck up there were alone enough to keep me home. Icing from freezing rain on curvy mountain roads is nothing to mess with. Risk vs. reward ratio too low.

I considered heading up to Lewisburg to check things out, but it appears that effects will be minimal west of the divide, and temps will be rising rapidy toward morning. The only area that would be worth being set up for post-ice storm photography looks to be the high elevations in the extreme northeast mountains, way too far of a drive and again too dangerous to be traveling in that area at this point.

Possibly more importantly is that we may see some lightning here in central WV overnight tonight. In fact, the RUC shows some decent instability overspreading the area after midnight. That always trumps a distant nighttime ice storm in terms of chaseworthiness. This followed by a high wind event, then possible snow tomorrow evening, makes staying here the clear choice.