MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A mid-November snow storm continues to drop several inches of snow on the Eastern Panhandle.
Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Grant and Mineral County schools all closed Thursday in addition to private schools. Potomac State College in Keyser, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College as well as Shepherd University were also closed.
The National Weather Service’s Baltimore/Washington DC office originally predicted 1-3 inches of snow with a chance of ice. That was later updated to 2-6 inches of snow accumulation. The agency has placed a winter storm warning for the region through 4 Friday morning.
West Virginia Department of Highways District 5 Manager Lee Thorne told MetroNews affiliate WEPM this storm was tricky to prepare for.
“They (roads) are very slick. We started out with maybe a small amount of freezing rain but then we had sleet and snow on top of that. The key is to slow down, take it easy, avoid hitting your breaks and avoid acceleration.”
Thorne said while working on I-81 near mile marker 12 Thursday morning, a Department of Highways plow was involved in an accident with another vehicle. No injuries were reported.
“The vehicle just shifted lanes in front of those plows. From one (lane) into the other and swerved out of control and one of our plows hit the vehicle. Of course when that happens, a truck is out of commission, you’ve got a lane closure, it just causes problems all the way around.”
WV511 has reported several accidents on I-81 through Martinsburg, Falling Waters, Spring Mills and Inwood areas.
No injuries have been reported by authorities from any of them.
This story will be updated.