| FREDERICKSBURG – A winter storm is forecast for the Fredericksburg area, Northern Neck, and Middle Peninsula, with snow expected to start Wednesday morning and continue through Thursday morning. Roads will become snow-covered and slippery once the storm begins, and travel will be hazardous. On the eastern end of the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, snow may fall at rates of an inch an hour or more, severely limiting driver visibility. Drivers should arrive at their destination before snow starts to fall on Wednesday. Once it begins snowing, do not drive and remain off the roads until the storm has ended and road conditions have improved. In addition to being the safest choice for travelers, staying off the roads also assists Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews with snow removal and road treatment efforts. Lighter traffic provides more space for crews to plow snow and apply treatment materials and keeps lanes passable for emergency responders who must travel during the storm. Snow accumulation is forecast to vary by region. The heaviest snow in the 14-county Fredericksburg District is expected along the eastern end of the Middle Peninsula in Mathews and Gloucester counties, with a potential for 8 inches of snow or more. Other areas of the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck are forecast to receive between 3-8 inches of snow. In the Fredericksburg area, up to 4 inches of snow is forecast. Road conditions may be more severe south and southeast of the district, with snow accumulation forecast for the Richmond and Hampton Roads regions. Follow local news and weather sources for storm timing and forecasts for your planned route. Around 1,100 pieces of equipment will be deployed throughout the district to plow snow and apply treatment materials for this storm, with more than 200 pieces of equipment dedicated to snow removal on Interstate 95. Tree crews will assist with removal of downed trees that could result from the weight of snow on tree limbs, combined with saturated soils from recent rain. Towing crews will be deployed to quickly clear incidents on I-95 and Route 1, the interstate’s alternate route. Ahead of the storm’s arrival, VDOT pre-treated I-95 and primary roads districtwide with a brine solution, which helps to prevent snow and ice from bonding with the pavement. VDOT crews will mobilize and stage ahead of the storm’s onset on Wednesday morning to be in a position to rapidly apply treatment materials and plow snow as needed. Plowing begins once 2 inches of snow has accumulated on the road. Snow Removal Priorities VDOT works to make interstates and primary roads passable first. Primary routes are numbered 1 to 599, and Route 610 in Stafford County. 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. VDOT crews will continue working 24 hours a day, in 12-hour shifts, through the storm and afterward to make all state-maintained roads passable. 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
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