DANVILLE, Va. – A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the Danville area starting late Friday afternoon and extending through early Saturday morning.

Blacksburg meteorologist Vance Joyner says Southside Virginia will see the precipitation start as rain late Friday afternoon. The rain will “quickly turn over to snow as the colder air moves in, with probably about 1-to-3 inches of snow in the Danville-Pittsylvania County area.”

Joyner says this is a fast moving storm system and that “all of the snow will probably move out of the area before daybreak Saturday.” But he cautions that whatever falls will be on the ground throughout the day Saturday, with the temperature only expected to reach a high of 31. And with wind gusts up to 30 mph Saturday, Joyner says blowing snow will make driving hazardous and may lead to hypothermia for those who stay out in the cold for extended periods of time. He says the high winds could also result in power outages.

The greatest impact is expected in areas on the coast, where heavy wet snow and blowing winds are in the forecast. That’s prompted Gov. Glenn Youngkin to declare a state of emergency in advance of the approaching storm.