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Motorists planning to travel in Virginia Friday morning may want to reconsider their timeline as icy conditions anticipated in the early Friday morning hours.

Winter weather has transitioned to rain throughout the Commonwealth, which will continue into the overnight hours. Beginning Friday morning, the Virginia Department of Transportation said in a news release that the rain will begin to taper off and freezing temperatures will enter the Commonwealth around 4 a.m. in southwest Virginia through 5 p.m. in the eastern portion of the state.

Motorists should drive with caution as re-freeze is a concern for any remaining wet roadways, especially in areas along and west of the Blue Ridge, including the Interstate 81 corridor.

Virginia Department of Transportation crews will be monitoring roadways and treating icy conditions as they develop.

If traveling, motorists should pack an emergency kit and blankets and have mobile devices fully charged in the event of a breakdown or emergency.

511 for road conditions

VDOT’s free mobile 511 app offers information about construction, traffic, incidents and congestion as well as access to traffic cameras, weather and more. Traffic information is also available at 511Virginia.org or by calling 511 from any phone.

Stay safe

When winter weather arrives, residents and motorists should be vigilant, plan travel ahead of time, check road conditions, prepare an emergency car kit, follow forecasts and announcements and limit travel based on conditions.

For questions or to report hazardous road conditions, motorists can contact VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).

For more about winter weather travel and VDOT’s preparation and response, visit VDOT’s winter weather page.