In her first week as governor, Gov. Abigail Spanberger, the governor of Virginia, declared a state-of-emergency on Thursday in anticipation of a winter storm expected to hit the Commonwealth starting Saturday.
In some areas, the majority of the state will experience heavy snowfall, freezing rain, and sleet Saturday, Sunday, and early Monday morning. This will be followed by dangerously cold temperatures throughout the rest of the week. Expect power outages and dangerous road conditions.
Southwest Virginia will soon see snow, freezing drizzle and sleet. Southwest Virginia is expected to see the last of the precipitation late Sunday night. Southside Virginia will begin to experience the wintry mix late Saturday afternoon and into the evening. Precipitation should end on Monday.
If the storm arrives as predicted, roads will need time to be cleared. “I am asking Virginians, therefore, to prepare for the storm that is coming and to then stay off of the roads from Saturday night through to Monday morning.” Spanberger said.
John Scrivani is the coordinator of Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s state emergency management program. He said that regional emergency management offices are working with local emergency managers, town officials, and emergency managers to prepare for and respond to this storm.
Spanberger said that depending on the impact of the storm her administration might need to request an emergency declaration via the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In parts of Northern Virginia snowfall could reach 10 inches, while several inches of sleet and snow topped with ice are possible throughout the commonwealth. As precipitation falls, temperatures will be in teens and twenties, so there will be an immediate accumulation on all surfaces. Extremely cold Arctic air is expected to follow, with temperatures as low as single digits or below zero by Tuesday morning.
As of Thursday, the Virginia Department of Transportation began pretreating major roadways with brine solution. A number of resources will be positioned throughout the state in order to remove snow, deal with icy conditions, and clear disabled vehicles.
Virginia National Guard will mobilize troops to help clear debris and respond to emergencies.
Scrivani stated that “This will be a dangerous and significant storm”.
He encouraged Virginians, particularly those in the state of Virginia, to pay attention to their local governments and agencies to get updates on the storm.
He said, “Please check on your neighbours, especially the elderly or those with special needs.”
The post Spanberger Declares State of Emergency Ahead of a’significant and Dangerous’ Winter Storm first appeared on Cardinal News.
