St. Patrick's Day Snowfall Brings Winter Advisory, Slippery Roads to McDowell County

Weather spotters measured 3.5 inches of snow in Welch as a Winter Weather Advisory extended over McDowell County on St. Patrick's Day, coating roads in slippery conditions and prompting hazard warnings across more than a dozen counties in West Virginia and southwestern Virginia.

WVVA reported that the advisory covered Buchanan, Tazewell, Bland, Mercer, McDowell, Wyoming, Raleigh, Fayette, Summers, western Greenbrier, and northwestern Pocahontas counties, with the network urging residents to "plan on slippery road conditions." Hazardous conditions carried the potential to disrupt Tuesday morning commutes, and gusty winds raised the risk of downed tree branches across the region.

Accumulation varied sharply by elevation and location. Areas east of the ridgeline faced only a trace to 1 inch of snow, while most communities west of the mountains saw between 1 and 2 additional inches throughout the day. Higher elevations could pick up up to 3 inches more, with WVVA noting that "roads looking rough all over the area as the snow falls on to colder ground."

The snowfall arrived with an unlikely backdrop. Scenic photographs circulated on social media showing the white-dusted landscape on St. Patrick's Day, a coincidence that drew attention online even as the accumulation created real travel headaches across the county.

The relief in the forecast came quickly. Wednesday brought highs back into the low 40s under overcast skies, with a few flurries possible in the morning but little additional accumulation expected. By Thursday, temperatures were forecast to climb into the 50s, with a chance of rain overnight and into Friday, which marks the first official day of spring.