Forecast: Storm should skirt area

April 14, 2007|By DAN DEARTH

TRI-STATE-The Tri-State area probably won't bear the brunt of a winter storm this weekend, said Dave Houk, an AccuWeather meteorologist.

Snow from Sunday's storm likely will fall north into the mountains and northeastern Pennsylvania, where temperatures are expected to be colder, Houk said.

"I think the major threat (in the Tri-State area) is wind and rain." he said.

AccuWeather predicts that rain will begin today in the Tri-State area and last until Sunday night.

Temperatures could reach 54 degrees today and dip to a low of 40, according to AccuWeather. On Sunday, the forecast calls for a high of 48 degrees and a low of 34.

Houk said 1 or 2 inches of rain could fall this weekend and cause creeks, streams and streets to flood. That amount of rain shouldn't be enough to cause river flooding, he said.

Cold temperatures and the threat of snowstorms aren't typical this late in April, Houk said. Temperatures at this time of year usually reach an average high of 62 degrees, with lows near 40 degrees, he said.

Eric Deike, Hagerstown's director of public works, said he plans to watch the storm just in case it doesn't move as far north as expected.

The city has about 300 tons of salt available to spread on roadways, he said.

"I can't remember when we've had (a storm) this late in the year," Deike said.

A few of the Public Works Department's trucks remain fitted with plows that were used last winter to remove snow, he said.

If it appears that snow will fall in Hagerstown, Deike said it only takes about an hour to suit each truck with the appropriate snow-removal gear.

"Right now, we're not scrambling," he said.

In West Virginia, all of the garages within that state's Division of Highways are ready for the worst, said Susie Watkins, spokeswoman for the West Virginia Division of Highways.

"Certainly, in West Virginia, we're ready to go," she said. "Salt supplies have been more than ample."

Watkins said the department typically is prepared to plow snow between Nov. 15 and April 15.

AccuWeather predicts temperatures should return to normal levels by the end of next week.

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