| FREDERICKSBURG – An additional burst of snow is expected to fall during the peak commuter rush this morning. The Fredericksburg area, Northern Neck, and Middle Peninsula may receive up to another inch of snow, which will cause roads to quickly become slippery and hazardous again, even on roads that were already previously plowed and treated. Travelers should continue to avoid travel until weather and road conditions improve, and if they must travel, use extreme caution. With more snow expected this morning, and temperatures below freezing, wet pavement may have frozen overnight, creating icy surfaces, particularly on ramps, bridges, hills, curves, and roads with lighter traffic. Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews are continuing to work 24 hours a day, in 12-hour shifts, until all state-maintained roads are safe for travel. VDOT works to make interstates and primary roads passable first. Primary routes are numbered 1 to 599. Crews also focus on plowing and treating major secondary roads (routes numbered 600 and higher) that connect to vital emergency and public facilities or those with high traffic volumes. Once conditions improve on these roads, crews will focus next on low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets. Conditions on state-maintained roads vary this morning across the 14-county VDOT Fredericksburg District based on snow accumulation. Fredericksburg area Interstate 95 is in minor condition in Caroline, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties, with bare pavement visible in three travel lanes, but isolated patches of snow and a risk for icy patches. Primary roads and high-volume secondary roads are in minor condition, with bare pavement visible, but isolated patches of snow and a risk for icy patches. Lower-volume secondary roads are in minor condition. Middle Peninsula Primary roads are in moderate condition in Gloucester and Middlesex counties with some visible pavement but snow and slush cover a significant portion of the road. Primary roads in Essex, King and Queen, King William, and Mathews are in minor condition. Secondary roads are in severe condition. These roads are partially or fully covered by snow and slush. Northern Neck Primary roads are clear in King George and Westmoreland counties. Primary roads are in minor condition in Richmond and Northumberland counties. Primaries are in moderate condition in Lancaster County. Secondary roads are in minor condition in King George County. Secondary roads are in moderate condition in Westmoreland, Richmond, Northumberland, and Lancaster counties. A road in “passable” condition is defined as: - Crews have removed snow from an 8- to 10-foot-wide path that provides access for emergency vehicles
- Road is drivable with caution, but may be snow-packed and may not have bare pavement or be plowed curb-to-curb
- Crews will sand hills, curves, and intersections to help with traction
Wind gusts are forecasted to pick up this afternoon, which may lead to drifting snow, especially in coastal areas of the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, and where fields border roads. Blowing snow can obscure a driver’s visibility and cause roads that have been plowed to be covered again. Shoveling a Driveway? VDOT plow operators push snow off the roadway in smooth, continuous passes. It ends up in gutters and on road shoulders, sometimes blocking driveways. To make as many roads passable as quickly as possible, there is unfortunately no way to avoid this practice. To avoid doing extra work, shovel snow from your driveway after a plow has been by. Shovel it to the right of your driveway as you face the road. Winter Weather Resources | 
