A squirrel heads up a tree and out of the snow covering the ground Wednesday morning at the intersection of Ohio 676 and Warren Chapel Road in Washington County. (Photo by Art Smith)

PARKERSBURG — Following snowfall that hit the area Tuesday, rain is expected today and into the weekend creating the possibility of flooding.

Meteorologist Simone Lewis with the National Weather Service in Charleston said Wood and Washington counties received 1-2 inches of snowfall Tuesday and into Wednesday.

“A good chunk of the snow was melting on contact (Tuesday) when it hit the warm ground,” Lewis said. “Most of it had melted off by (Wednesday afternoon).”

Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board said there were no significant accidents resulting from the snow.

Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard said they did not have any accidents reported as a result of the snow.

Belpre, Warren Local and Marietta Schools were closed Wednesday and Wood County Schools were on a two-hour delay. Wirt County Schools were also on a delay.

Washington County was under a Level 2 snow emergency Tuesday evening where roadways were hazardous with blowing and drifting snow, said Washington County Sheriff Mark Warden. During a Level 2 warning only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be on the roadways

Warden said he wasn’t aware of any problems as a result of the snow that hit the area Tuesday and into Wednesday.

The Level 2 snow emergency changed to a Level 1 overnight where roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow and roads are icy with drivers being advised to drive cautiously.

“The cold and the ice were compounding the issues,” Warden said, adding however there were no accidents.

A dispatcher with the Ohio State Highway Patrol was unable to give out any information about possible accidents.

Another weather system was expected to move into the area Wednesday night and into today which will be bringing rain across the Parkersburg and Marietta areas.

“It is possible that rain will be moderate to heavy at times,” Lewis said. “Things will then start to dry out (today).”

Overcast conditions are expected throughout the day and temperatures are expected to fall throughout the day today, she said. The high temperatures are expected this morning in the low 40s and will drop to the lower to mid-30s by the afternoon.

On Friday, temperatures are supposed to dip into the teens and rise to the mid to upper 30s by afternoon.

“Then when we get to the weekend, we do have a potent low pressure system to the area,” Lewis said. “You might see a brief period of a rain/snow mix by early Saturday morning, but it will quickly transition to rain.

“We are looking at the possibility of heavy rain and we are looking at the possibility of heavy rain with 2-3 inches of rain.”

The Weather Service will be monitoring conditions to see if flooding might become a possibility through the weekend and early into next week.

“We are expecting some flooding issues across the area, because the ground is already pretty wet out there. Many creeks and streams are already running pretty high,” Lewis said. “It is definitely something we are going to be keeping an eye on this weekend.

“People need to be aware there is quite a bit of rain expected that is on its way this weekend.”

People in areas that are prone to flooding will want to be prepared and start getting ready now, she said.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com