Heavy rains slam region: Snow showers expected today in Mid-Ohio Valley

A car sends a wall of water skyward as it passes through a large puddle along Garfield Avenue Tuesday during a day-long downpour. (Photo by Art Smith)
PARKERSBURG — The Wood County area saw some high water and other concerns Tuesday as the area braces for potential high winds and flooding.
In a related issue, Belpre Elementary School is back in session today following the completion of repair’s to the school’s heating system which caused its closure Monday and Tuesday.
A supervisor at the Wood County 911 Center said there was high water reported at Big Tygart Creek Road and Stephen’s Fork Road as well as the 2200 block of North Oak Grove Road. The supervisor said there were large rocks in the road along the 800 block of Williams Highway from a landslide caused by the rain.
Meteorologist Tom Mazza with the National Weather Service in Charleston said the Mid-Ohio Valley got 1-1¢ inches of rain on average with the rainfall amount in Parkersburg at over 1¢ inches by 4:15 p.m. Tuesday when the heavy rain was over.
Another front is moving through the area with rain and snow showers mixed into this morning.

A truck plows through one of many puddles that filled area roads Tuesday. Constant traffic along Garfield Avenue pushed water into a nearby parking lot, flooding a small section near the road. (Photo by Art Smith)
“We are expecting no accumulation,” Mazza said, adding any precipitation is expected to be over by the afternoon today.
The weather service put out a wind advisory until 1 p.m. today with winds between 15 mph to 25 mph with gusts that could reach 45 mph.
Light snow is possible this morning which could create some slick spots for the morning commute, an advisory said.
A flood advisory was put out for Washington County, Ohio, until 6:30 a.m. for parts of the Marietta, Lower Salem and Devola areas, the weather service reported.
Mazza said there were also warnings for the Little Muskingum River in Ohio as well as Middle Island Creek in West Virginia.
The weather service is calling for snow showers this morning mixed with rain, mainly before 7 a.m., with a high of around 39. It is expected to be windy with winds expected to reach 16 mph to 22 mph with gusts as high as 40 mph. There will a 60% chance of precipitation with little or no snow accumulation expected.
On Thursday it is expected to be partly sunny with a high of 46 with wind 14 mph to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. .
Rain is expected Friday with a high of 51. There is a 100% chance of precipitation.
Snow is expected again on Saturday mainly before 1 p.m. with a high of 36. There will be a 70% chance of precipitation . By Saturday night the low is expected to reach 18 and there will be a 40% chance of snow before 1 a.m.
On Sunday, there will be a 30-40% chance of snow throughout the day and evening with a high of 32 and a low of 19.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice declared a State of Preparedness for all 55 counties in West Virginia on Tuesday, according to a press release issued by the governor’s office.
The weather service has issued a weather watch, warning or advisory for all 55 West Virginia counties, which include high wind warnings, winter weather advisories, and flood watches, which have the potential to cause power outages and flooding.
“… developing weather patterns suggest a significant winter storm event followed by dangerous wind chills and other adverse weather events is likely to impact the entirety of the State of West Virginia,” read the proclamation issued by Justice on Tuesday for the State of Preparedness.
The chance for localized flooding will continue throughout the week and into the coming weekend, “posing a threat to the health, safety, welfare and property of the citizens of West Virginia,” according to the proclamation.
The State of Preparedness allows the West Virginia Emergency Management Division to posture personnel and resources for quick response to any emergency that may develop. Coordinating agencies have been placed on standby to report to the State Emergency Operations Center should the need arise, the press release said.
The State of Preparedness will last for 30 days, unless ended by the governor sooner, the proclamation said.
According to the National Weather Service, a strong system was supposed to track northwest of West Virginia on Tuesday bringing mainly rain to the region. Slick conditions were possible Tuesday morning in the mountains, as precipitation there initially began as a wintry mix amid very gusty winds, then transitioned to rain, with locally heavy rain possible thereafter. Some water issues may occur, particularly across the mountains given melting snowpack. Power outages were also possible due to the high winds.
Justice and the WVEMD ask all West Virginians to remain attentive to weather conditions through local media reports and follow any instructions issued by emergency officials, the press release said.
In Washington County, Sheriff Larry R Mincks issued a level one snow emergency Tuesday. By 2:30 p.m., the emergency was lifted. As of that time, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and the Marietta Post of the Ohio State Patrol said they did not have any reports of flooding or accidents caused by the rain.