Making his 15-mile daily commute by bicycle through the coldest weather West Virginia has experienced in several years will be a challenge, but Chuck Peterson of South Charleston says he's up to it.

"It's supposed to get down to 5 degrees on Friday, so it will be interesting," said Peterson, the manager of research and planning for the state Department of Commerce. "But I tell people I like to ride on the coldest and hottest days of the year. It makes riding on any other day easy."

Temperatures are not expected to climb above the teens in the Charleston area today or Friday, and overnight lows of 5 degrees are forecast for both days, according to the National Weather Service.

In the state's eastern highlands, overnight lows tonight and Friday are expected to drop below zero. At Davis, overnight lows of minus-6 and minus-5 are forecast for tonight and Friday, while the temperature in Elkins is expected to drop to minus-1 and minus-7. At Snowshoe, lows of minus-7 and minus-8 were predicted.

Snow is in the forecast statewide through Friday afternoon, with accumulations expected to range from about 1 inch in the western lowlands to 6 inches or more in the eastern mountains.

Peterson is in his seventh year of traveling by bike from his home along Montrose Drive in South Charleston to the state Capitol complex. Heavy rain is about the only atmospheric condition that prompts him to leave his Trek on its kickstand and drive his truck to work.

These days, the goateed, green-powered commuter feels lucky to be riding at all. Six months ago, while removing a fallen apple tree from the roof of his mother's Parkersburg home, Peterson fell 15 feet and broke his back in seven places.

"I'm just getting back into riding," he said. "I do 20 minutes of stretches three times a day to loosen up." Peterson said he resumed his bicycle commuting three weeks ago.

Peterson, who does cost comparison studies at work to compare the value of doing business in West Virginia in relation to other states, has calculated that it costs him about 1 cent per mile to ride his bike to work, compared with 39 cents a mile to drive his paid-for truck to the Statehouse.

Making his 15-mile daily commute by bicycle through the coldest weather West Virginia has experienced in several years will be a challenge, but Chuck Peterson of South Charleston says he's up to it.

"It's supposed to get down to 5 degrees on Friday, so it will be interesting," said Peterson, the manager of research and planning for the state Department of Commerce. "But I tell people I like to ride on the coldest and hottest days of the year. It makes riding on any other day easy."

Temperatures are not expected to climb above the teens in the Charleston area today or Friday, and overnight lows of 5 degrees are forecast for both days, according to the National Weather Service.

In the state's eastern highlands, overnight lows tonight and Friday are expected to drop below zero. At Davis, overnight lows of minus-6 and minus-5 are forecast for tonight and Friday, while the temperature in Elkins is expected to drop to minus-1 and minus-7. At Snowshoe, lows of minus-7 and minus-8 were predicted.

Snow is in the forecast statewide through Friday afternoon, with accumulations expected to range from about 1 inch in the western lowlands to 6 inches or more in the eastern mountains.

Peterson is in his seventh year of traveling by bike from his home along Montrose Drive in South Charleston to the state Capitol complex. Heavy rain is about the only atmospheric condition that prompts him to leave his Trek on its kickstand and drive his truck to work.

These days, the goateed, green-powered commuter feels lucky to be riding at all. Six months ago, while removing a fallen apple tree from the roof of his mother's Parkersburg home, Peterson fell 15 feet and broke his back in seven places.

"I'm just getting back into riding," he said. "I do 20 minutes of stretches three times a day to loosen up." Peterson said he resumed his bicycle commuting three weeks ago.

Peterson, who does cost comparison studies at work to compare the value of doing business in West Virginia in relation to other states, has calculated that it costs him about 1 cent per mile to ride his bike to work, compared with 39 cents a mile to drive his paid-for truck to the Statehouse.

Biking accounts for virtually all of his fitness activity. In addition to riding to work, Peterson bikes to shops in downtown South Charleston and to the Riverwalk Kroger, carrying purchased items home in a bike trailer.

While fitness, helping the environment and saving money are all reasons for pedaling to work, Peterson said his main motivation is "I love riding my bike."

 To fend off the cold while riding in single-digit temperatures, Peterson wears a Lycra skull cap and balaclava, bike helmet, cycling sunglasses, a long-sleeve wool jersey and a long-sleeve polypropylene jersey, a 30-year-old Italian cycling jacket, wool running gloves and cycling gloves, cycling shorts, cycling tights, wind-resistant running pants, shoes and shoe covers.

According to Peterson, "This level of clothing should allow me to ride with some level of comfort for about one hour."

While the arrival of arctic air today will bring temperatures to their lowest level in several years, the Charleston area has had a number of colder cold snaps, according to records compiled by Ken Batty of the National Weather Service's Charleston Forecast Office.

Since 2000, the temperature has fallen below zero only twice in Charleston - on Jan. 28, 2000, when it dropped to minus-2 and Feb. 6, 2007, when the low was minus-1.

Since 1975, Charleston's lowest temperature of the year has been below zero 11 times. The lowest reading since then took place on Jan. 19, 1994, when the temperature plummeted to minus-16 degrees.  It was minus-15 on Jan. 21, 1985, and minus-13 on Jan. 21, 1984, and Jan. 17, 1982.

Reach Rick Steelhammer

at rsteelham...@wvgazette.com

or 348-5169