Wintery weather plows into area

By Paul Fallon
Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT January 13, 2009 12:37 am

— Wintery weather blew through the Mountain State again on Sunday night into Monday morning.
Snowfall amounts varied around the county, said Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Pittsburgh office. Approximately 1 inch of fresh snow fell in Fairmont starting Sunday night, he said. The northwestern portion of the county received heavier snowfall, Hendricks said, with Mannington receiving around 2 inches of fresh powder.
Despite some scattered sunshine on Monday, the wintery weather will be sticking around for some time, Hendricks said. Another winter system was expected to move into the area today, bringing with it the chance of light snow. The snowfall is expected to continue tonight with temperatures dipping down into the low teens, he added. According to Hendricks, there should be around 1 to 2 inches of fresh accumulation. Wind gusts could reach 25 miles per hour.
“And that could cause some problems with blowing snow,” Hendricks said.
Temperatures should hover well below the freezing mark for the remainder of the week, Hendricks said. Wednesday’s forecast is for light snow with a high temperature in the low 20s. The temperature is forecast to plunge to 15 Wednesday night.
Thursday’s forecast is for snow with a high reaching only 15 degrees, according to Hendricks. The temperature should dip down to around seven degrees Thursday night.
“The temperatures should rebound on Sunday,” Hendricks said.
Monday’s wintery weather caused numerous accidents around the county, according to a Central Communications dispatcher. Emergency personnel responded to around 10 accidents starting at 6:16 a.m. Monday, the dispatcher said.
A pair of accidents north of Rivesville shut down Route 19 for approximately one and a half hours, according to Marion County Deputy Ryan Ray. The first accident occurred near Wesley Chapel Church at about 7:30 a.m..
According to Ray, the driver of a 1992 Ford Explorer was traveling south on Route 19 when he lost control because of icy roads and a malfunctioning steering system. The Explorer traveled off the right-hand side of the road before driving over a concrete barrier and striking a gas meter on the church, Ray said.
No injuries were reported due to the accident, Ray said. The driver did not receive a citation.
“The road was a solid sheet of ice,” Ray said.
A tractor-trailer then got stuck near the site of the accident at Wesley Chapel Church, Ray said. Both lanes of Route 19 were closed because of the these accidents until around 9 a.m. The Division of Highways was called in to spread cinders and salt, he said.
E-mail Paul Fallon at pfallon@timeswv.com.

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