Last Updated on December 26, 2012 7:22 am
* from information coming into the facebook and twitter pages*
7:21am – High winds, heavy rain, reports of snow this morning. It's a nasty start to the day.
7:26am – The Avery roads FB page is reporting very slick conditions in parts of Avery
7:32am – report of freezing rain on Rich Mtn. Also be careful with possible downed trees as wind gust have picked up.
7:44am – Sleeting up on Junaluska and report of heavy freezing rain in Green Valley
7:54am – per facebook – “On top of meat camp road near elk knob park is bad. About an inch of ice/slush. Two wheel car was slipping so just In case I turned around.”
7:58am – no sooner had the previous status been typed then the Blue Ridge EMC outages went from 12 to 415 in Watauga.
8:10am – now the rain has turned to snow for a good part of the area. Big heavy wet flakes.
8:15am – Freezing Rain Advisories are up for Avery until noon, rest of the High Country until 7pm. High Wind Warning is up for Avery until noon, Wind Advisory for rest of the High Country until 4pm.
8:52am – more reports of freezing rain and sleet. Heavy sleet in Valle Crucis making roads slick. Also highway 105 on Rock Crusher Hill (at rock quarry) is slick.
8:55am – power outages – Watauga 449, Wilkes 14, Ashe 13
9am – A lot of the roads, especially on the western and southern end of the county, do not look slick but they are. Use caution.
9:08am – reports coming in of roads all across the county are becoming slick.
9:08am – via twitter – @WataugaRoads Sleet accumulating on the ground and the road in Perkinsville!
9:11am – power outages – Watauga 115, Wilkes 15, Ashe 17
sent in via twitter – a pine tree at 4000′ NW Watauga Co.
9:19am – more scanner reports of wrecks, nothing serious as of yet.
9:19am – report coming in that Appalcart buses are having a tough go of it in Boone due to slick roads.
From Avery County Road and Weather Conditions Reports “9:20 am – Hwy 105, between Linville and Inversheil, is closed due to a wreck. Food Lion Hill is also reported as being very slick.”
9:28am – power outages – Watauga 115, Wilkes 15, Ashe 17
Best advice this morning is stay off the roads. More scanner reports of accidents coming in as the county continues to get a mix bag of weather.
9:34am from Avery County Road and Weather Conditions Reports fb page – IMPORTANT: PLEASE SHARE. 105 from Linville to Inversheil is now CLOSED until further notice due to road conditions and a wreck near GGCC/LVFD. Thank you to Larry Sudderth for this update! From Avery County Road and Weather Conditions Reports – 9:33 am – portions of Hwy 105 opening to traffic.
9:37am – getting a report that all Appalcarts are stopped for now until a decision is made to close or not.
From Avery County Road and Weather Conditions Reports – 9:33 am – portions of Hwy 105 opening to traffic.
10am – power outages – Watauga 70, Wilkes 76, Ashe 21, Alleghany 624
10:05am – Ice on the roads in Boone
Ice covered porch
Along with winter weather heavy rains have creeks,streams and rivers way up. No reports of flooding
10:30am- Road conditions have improved since the change over to mostly rain in the last 30mins or so. Use caution still and let the mad rush to the grocery store begin.
12:44pm- Freezing rain and sleet has started back pretty heavy around Valle Crucis
2:37pm- conditions continue to switch between rain,snow, sleet or mix. Currently roads are just wet.
3:06pm – snow falling in Vilas
Ice above Willow Valley. Photo by Susan Murphy
On 105 extension in the 3pm hour.
Snowing on Meat Camp Road
Big snowflakes falling in Vilas off Laurel Fork. Photo from Megan Ross
Iced tree near Boone Golf Course
4pm – no afternoon road issues yet, the snow continues to come and go. HOWEVER temp in Boone is 33, lows tonight forecast to hit mid 20s with gusty winds of 50 then 60mph. Watch for possible icing.
7:40pm – getting reports of slick areas and a wreck on 321 at Roaring River. Use caution driving tonight as temps are already below freezing.
