Spring in winter squall day ahead

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - The Wednesday afternoon shower pattern deposited a healthy quarter to third of an inch of rain in counties that border the I-64 zone. Where the rains fell, highs made the low and mid 50s while areas in the Coalfields that missed out on the rain managed to get close to 60 degrees. The culprit for the rain can be pegged to an advancing spring air mass. And spring is in the forecast on Thursday as highs soar into the 60s before some afternoon squalls pass along a cold front. The squalls will pack an unusual winter arsenal of weapons with heavy rains, strong winds and thunder and lightning. There may even be some hail where winds get chaotic for a time. Since the squalls will occur during the school afternoon, bus drivers and school officials will need to be vigilant in how to handle these rowdy outbursts.

By late Thursday night through Friday much colder air will arrive and snow showers will be common. The initial bursts of snow will melt on a warm ground but in time temperatures will fall below freezing Friday afternoon then into the 20s Friday night so a light accumulation is likely to make for slick travel into Saturday morning. It will be the first snow and shot of cold air since the Polar Vortex hit before Christmas.

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