Snow piles up in Suffolk

Published 11:16 am Saturday, January 7, 2017

It was

R.E. Spears/Suffolk News-Herald It didn't come soon enough for a white Christmas, but the snow that fell across Suffolk and the rest of Hampton Roads on Friday and Saturday still seemed to contribute to the festive decor that remains.

R.E. Spears/Suffolk News-Herald
It didn’t come soon enough for a white Christmas, but the snow that fell across Suffolk and the rest of Hampton Roads on Friday and Saturday still seemed to contribute to the festive decor that remains.

At 10:30 a.m., snow continued to fall throughout Suffolk and the surrounding area, with the National Weather Service predicting that the greatest accumulation is yet to come.

In a press release at 9:15 a.m., Suffolk spokeswoman Diana Klink stated that snowfall around the city had accumulated to a depth of 2 to 4 inches and that “plowing has also begun in earnest.”

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Public works crews worked through the night applying a brine solution to the roads to make sure all primary and many secondary roads had been treated before the snow started to fall, she stated. Once the snow began, crews switched to a sand/salt abrasive mixture.

A winter storm warning, which went into effect at 10 p.m. Friday, will remain in place until 10 p.m. tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service’s 10 a.m. forecast update predicts six to 12 inches of snow around Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina, with up to 15 inches possible in some areas.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the upper 20s to lower 30s through the day, plunging into single digits early Sunday morning, with wind chill values below zero.

That combination of factors means that whatever snow falls today — and it’s expected to come at a rate of up to two inches per hour at some points — will remain where it is through much of the week.

“Treatment of our secondary roads will follow our primary roads, and trucks will most likely not be servicing residential neighborhoods for a couple of days after the storm, if at all,” Klink stated in her release. “It is extremely difficult for the large snowplows and equipment to access some neighborhoods due to no turning radius, dead ends and other factors.”

Officials at all levels are urging people to stay off the road.

Virginia State Police reported 38 crashes and a dozen disabled vehicles in the Division V area, which includes Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore, Williamsburg, Franklin and Emporia.

Even before the first snowflake had fallen, Gov. Terry McAuliffe had declared a state of emergency across the commonwealth. The declaration authorized state agencies to assist local governments in responding to the storm.

“I have been briefed by the National Weather Service and my emergency team, who are tracking this storm and following the potential impacts it could have across much of the state,” McAuliffe stated in the press release announcing the declaration.

“I urge Virginians to limit travel as the severe weather arrives and follow directions from local and state officials. We hope this storm passes quickly through our Commonwealth, but our top priority must be to ensure the safety of our citizens and their families.”

The following snow-related closings and cancellations have been announced:

4The Suffolk Visitor Center, Suffolk Executive Airport and Suffolk Animal Care Center all are closed on Saturday.

4The Southeastern Public Service Authority’s regional landfill in Suffolk is closed on Saturday.

4Suffolk Parks and Recreation has canceled all activities that had been planned for Saturday.

4Suffolk Public Schools have announced that all activities planned for Saturday have been canceled.

Check back later for more updates on this continuing storm.