WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – Another widespread winter storm arrived in West Virginia Thursday night and will linger until Saturday.
Just as crews were cleaning up from the storm earlier in the week that dropped several inches of snow statewide, a similar system is currently making its way through West Virginia.
Most of the state is under a Winter Storm Warning until Saturday morning for several inches of snow.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Charleston, most of the snowfall from this event will fall throughout the day on Friday.
Snow showers will continue into Saturday, gradually becoming confined to the higher elevations in West Virginia.
The highest snow totals are expected in the higher elevations with lower amounts in the lowlands.
Impacts from the storm are expected area-wide, according to the NWS. Slick driving conditions are also expected throughout the day on Friday.
The widespread storm resulted in Gov. Justice issuing a State of Emergency for all 55 counties.
The State of Emergency allows state agencies to coordinate ahead of a possible weather event, including by pre-positioning personnel, vehicles, equipment, and other assets.Â
The weather caused every county school district in West Virginia to close to in-person learning on Friday. Multiple colleges and universities also canceled classes.
Courts in counties such as Fayette and Raleigh closed until Monday with multiple other businesses and organizations closing Friday.
America’s newest national park, New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, is quite beautiful in the winter but can be tricky to navigate in the snow.
Park officials decided to close visitor centers and administrative offices on Friday.
The park road to Cunard and Turkey Spur/Picnic Shelters 1-4 at Grandview remain closed due to ice and snow. Caution is urged throughout the entire park.