VA Officials Prepare For Second Snowstorm Of The Week

VIRGINIA/DC — Virginia and D.C. will see their second snowstorm of the week Thursday night, although the new snowfall is expected to produce less severe conditions than Monday's winter storm.

The National Weather Service is predicting 3 to 4 inches of snow in the area from Fredericksburg north to Alexandria and D.C. The snow is expected to be drier than the extremely wet and heavy snow that fell Monday, which caused trees to fall and take down power lines with them.

The new storm still could cause disruptions to power restoration efforts in hard-hit parts of the state, especially in Spotsylvania, Stafford and Louisa counties, where crews are still working to get the lights turned back on for residents.

Jeff Orrock, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service's office in Wakefield, Virginia, said the snow will start to reach the I-95 corridor around 8 p.m. on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters Thursday morning on a call organized by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Orrock said the bulk of snowfall accumulation from Fredericksburg to Alexandria will occur from 11 pm. Thursday to 4 a.m. Friday.

On the high end of its forecast, snowfall could reach 5-6 inches from Fredericksburg northward. But 3-4 inches is the NWS's current forecast amount for the area.

By the time people wake up Friday morning, the snowstorm should be finished, he said.

With temperatures on Friday and Saturday expected to remain below or around freezing, the snow will be around for a few days. Both days, however, will have lots of sun, which could lead to some melting, he said.

On Wednesday, Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in advance of the winter storm. "Having two bouts of snow and icy weather back to back makes it more likely communities will need additional help as they continue to recover from the first round of tree-snapping wet snow and ice that we saw Monday," Northam said, in the declaration he issued on Wednesday evening.

READ ALSO: State Of Emergency Set By Northam Ahead Of Thursday Snowstorm

"I am grateful to the hundreds of first responders and emergency personnel who continue to work around the clock to keep Virginians safe," the governor said.

Back-to-back storms are nothing new for the state police or Virginia, Major R.C. Maxey Jr., Virginia State Police Bureau of Field Operations Deputy Director, said during Thursday conference call with reporters.

"We will have all available troopers on patrol in order to respond as quickly as possible to traffic crashes, emergencies, and disabled motorists," Maxey said. "We will extend shifts, call out additional troopers, and redirect resources when and where needed, just as we did earlier this week."

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management requested about 50 soldiers and airmen from the Virginia National Guard, who will be split between Fredericksburg, Northern Virginia and Southwest Virginia.

SEE ALSO: I-95 Shutdown: All Drivers Escape Road After 20+ Hours, Plows Out

Timothy Williams, a U.S. Army major general and commander of the Virginia National Guard, said during the news conference that members of the National Guard will help with the clearing of debris and perform other duties. Additional members will provide administrative and logistical support to the Virginia National Guard.

Since members of the National Guard have regular jobs, it usually takes 12 to 24 hours to bring them on duty. With the uncertain weather forecasts over the weekend prior to Monday's winter storm, the Virginia National Guard did not have enough time to provide immediate help to Virginians, including the motorists stranded on Interstate 95 on Monday and Tuesday.

All of Virginia's interstate highways are currently reporting clear conditions, according to Stephen Brich, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation.

VDOT has been working around the clock since Sunday to clear roads, with drivers working 12-hour shifts, Brich said.

The department remains in clean-up mode in its Fredericksburg and Culpeper districts from Monday's storm. The department expects to have all subdivision streets in the Fredericksburg area cleared by Thursday night before the new storm arrives, he said.

Since Monday's storm, VDOT has been able to restock materials and make the necessary repairs to equipment. And with the upcoming storm expected to be primarily a snow event, especially north of Richmond, VDOT crews will be permitted to pre-treat roadways to allow for them to cleared faster.

With temperatures forecast to drop well below freezing Friday night, highways across the state are expected to re-freeze. Brich said VDOT will be prepared to address the re-freezing of roads, although motorists should be on the lookout for ice if driving Friday night and Saturday morning.

Shannon Valentine, Virginia's Secretary of Transportation, said the state is conducting a multistate agency review of the backup on I-95 that lasted more than 24 hours for some motorists.

Monday’s snowstorm left motorists on I-95 stuck in freezing vehicles overnight. Many lacked food or water, and some ran out of gas.

Maxey said Virginia State Police troopers had trouble reaching motorists stuck on I-95 on Monday because their vehicles also were unable to make it through the snow-covered highways that connect to the interstate.