Weekend storm brings good rain to Richmond, winter weather in the mountains and up north...

Here's the Friday evening update: The weekend storm remains on target. High pressure will build to our north tonight and tomorrow. While it is a pretty strong high, it will be a bit too far north to keep cold air funneling into Virginia, which we would need for a decent winter storm. An onshore flow will quickly bring milder air into the mix, and we expect a RAIN event for Richmond and much of Central Virginia. However, the colder air will hold tight a bit longer over higher elevations to the north and west, as well as north of Fredericksburg up to DC...so some winter precipitation is likely. Here's the breakdown:
Metro Richmond and all points south and east: Rain (with some ice pellets possibly mixed in at the start)
Louisa/Caroline north and west to Fredericksburg and Charlottesville: A mix of sleet and rain, some icy accumulation possible before a changeover to rain
Farther north and west, Harrisonburg, Staunton and the I-81 corridor: A mix of snow, sleet and rain, with some accumulation...eventually temps will rise enough that there could be a change to rain

For those travelling north this weekend, be aware that this will be a big storm for the Northeast. The storm track will likely bring mild air pretty far inland, meaning coastal areas will see a lot of rain. But west of the I-95 corridor, there could be some good snows, from PA north to New England.