HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect through noon Sunday for Northampton, Sussex, Surry, James City, Southampton, Isle of White, Newport News, York, Mathews, and Accomack County. Some snow accumulation and a wintry mix will lead to slick conditions Sunday morning.
This is the second bout of winter weather in the Hampton Roads area in just days. Snow fell and stuck to the ground Thursday morning. Now, localities are preparing for another round on Sunday.
Latest Super Doppler 10 Forecast
Meteorologist Steve Fundaro says Saturday night is expected to be cold with lows in the upper 20s with a brief snow shower and calm winds.
For Sunday, snow before dawn, with a wintry mix by sunrise. Hampton Roads switches to rain by late morning, while snow and a wintry mix could persist longer for inland and northern tier locations.
A soaking rain for all by Sunday afternoon. Highs in the upper 40s by the end of the day. Winds becoming SE 12-18mph with gusts to 25mph.
Meteorologist Steve Fundaro’s advice for Sunday morning?
Hit the snooze button a few times and sleep in, so by the time you really start your day, most of any/all wintry precipitation will be flipping to rain that takes us into the night. Read more in the latest Weather Blog.
Latest Advisories & NWS Updates
National Weather Service (NWS) in Wakefield released additional details Saturday afternoon on the conditions throughout the region. Snow is expected to start northwest of Richmond.
Accomac and parts of Accomack County were recently added into the forecast under the winter weather advisory by NWS Wakefield.
Warnings and advisories have been expanded a bit to the east. Precipitation will begin as snow late tonight into Sunday morning and will change to rain throughout the day — with sleet and freezing rain possible during the transition. The highest snow totals (4-6″) are still expected to be northwest of Richmond.
Some uncertainty still remains on exactly when it will change over to rain versus possible freezing rain. Temperatures will be dropping to right around the freezing point tonight, and that is why the exact timing of where the rain-snow line will be is so tricky.
Light ice accrual is expected up to a tenth of an inch across Piedmont and I-95 Sunday morning before switching to rain.
Total Snow Accumulation Expected
It’s expected that the greatest snowfall will be 4 to 6 inches north and northwest of Richmond. Looks like Hampton Roads may see an inch or less including across the water in Accomac and Accomack County.
VDOT & Crew Preparations
Crews from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) were already out and about on the roads on Friday night, but they’ve been at it for several days now with the first snow system that hit southwest Virginia earlier this week.
VDOT began pretreating interstates and major roads — particularly in Botetourt County, Montgomery County, and the rest of the New River Valley — with brine to help equipment operators remove snow more easily, but officials say the subfreezing temperatures are making it difficult to work on the major areas in some counties.
“Because those temperatures are so low in certain areas, we aren’t able to pre-treat,” said Jason Bond with VDOT’s Salem District. “We cannot put out brine solution ahead on the roads if the temperatures are so cold because you risk that material freezing on the road surface.”
According to VDOT, crews will work 12-hour shifts around the clock to plow and treat roads, though those shifts may need to be extended depending on the situation.
As far as supplies go, the department is fully stocked and will continue to reorder items like salt and chemicals as needed.
“We will plow and treat roads depending on what Mother Nature brings our way,” said Bond. “We certainly have been working with this last storm, particularly the New River Valley, and we will continue to be working as needed to plow and treat roadways, even with this more major storm.”
However, storm preparation is not just underway in the Roanoke Valley and the New River Valley, but also in central Virginia.
“At this time, we’re anticipating, based on the forecast, that this will begin as snow, so we are doing some pre-treatment of our major roadways — roadways like 501, 29, 460, 58 — so we will be preparing those with a pre-treatment of brine operation. As a matter of fact, trucks just passed right there,” Paula Jones with VDOT’s Lynchburg District said on Friday.
Jones also says the department is expecting a cycle of melting and refreezing over several days, so she encourages motorists to be extra careful on the roads and watch out for icing through Wednesday, Feb. 3.
As we enter the weekend, though, VDOT advises people across the Commonwealth to monitor local forecasts and conditions so you can plan ahead and alter your plans if necessary. After all, snow or ice on roadways make it hazardous to travel during a storm.
Surry County’s winter weather advisory is in effect from 10pm this evening, January 30, to noon Sunday, January 31. Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of up to 2 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze. Plan on slippery road conditions. Slow down and use caution while traveling.
Virginia State Police is encouraging Virginians to avoid travel if possible during the storm. Officials say all available troopers will be on patrol in order to respond as quickly as possible to traffic crashes, emergencies, and disabled motorists.
If you cannot avoid traveling during adverse weather conditions, keep the following safety tips in mind:
- Give crews time to treat roads.
- Allow yourself plenty of time to reach your destination.
- Keep a safe distance of at least five seconds between you and the vehicle ahead of you.
- Brake very lightly to prevent your tires from slipping on the pavement.
- Do not pass snow plows.
- If possible, put off your travel plans until the precipitation stops and road conditions improve.
For more tips for staying safe in a winter storm, click here. You can also find the latest traffic information on VDOT’s 511 website or app.
WFXR contributed to the post with the interview from Jason Bond with VDOT’s Salem District.
