Kevin Myatt is The Roanoke Times' weather columnist.

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Weather with Kevin Myatt

Recent columns

• Winter trying again to show up with snow
• We got graupel, but not on official record
• Moisture could get caught up in cold blast
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• Many looking past mild, quiet week toward possibly wild weekend
• Sprinkles or flurries possible Tuesday, but maybe something bigger for the weekend?
• For now, it looks like a quiet, mostly mild week ahead for SW Virginia
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How much crunch will mix with our fluff?

That is a huge question that must be addressed in trying to forecast what will happen with the major winter storm set to affect our area Friday and Saturday.

With the winter storms on Dec. 18-19 and last weekend, sleet and freezing rain haven't been widespread issues. But this coming weekend's storm will likely include some mixed precipitation.

How long the mix occurs will be a big factor in how much snow ultimately falls. A lot of mix would reduce total accumulation.

This storm involves a complicated transfer of energy from an inland low pressure system, moving east across the southern United States, to a forming coastal low expected to develop off the Carolinas.

The first storm will pump in warmer air aloft, likely turning early snow into sleet and/or freezing rain. Several inches could accumulate before that happens.

But once the coastal forms, it will spin colder air from the north, turning all precipitation back to snow.

So it's the timing between the two systems that will determine the character of the coming storm. Will it be another big snow? Or something more crunchy?

Hopefully we'll know a little more by Friday's column.

Weather Journal runs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.