Flooding, snow possible this weekend

Published 10:53 am Friday, February 5, 2010

FRANKLIN—The National Weather Service in Wakefield is predicting more snow for Western Tidewater over the weekend and has issued a flood watch.

The NWS said there was a chance of rain and snow before 1 p.m., but would shift to rain after that time. Little or no snow accumulation was expected.

Heavy rainfall, expected to be between 1 1/2 and 3 inches, would begin in the late afternoon and continue into the evening hours, the NWS said. Forecasters warned that “soils are saturated from recent rainfall and stream levels are running high. The additional moderate to heavy rainfall will result in significant rises and potential flooding on streams as well as in urban and low lying areas.”

The flood watch — which covers eastern and southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina — begins at 4 p.m. and continues through Saturday morning.

A mixture of rain and snow was expected between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, but falling temperatures would make snow more likely after 1 p.m., possibly bringing 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation. The snow could continue into the Saturday evening hours.

Sunday’s weather is expected to be mostly sunny with a high of 36 degrees.