Virginia state officials have declared a state of emergency and local leaders across Central Virginia are preparing to keep roads and runways clear ahead of the snowstorm rolling in Sunday night. The advice from all sides is to settle in comfortably at home so the professionals can get their work done safely.
The Charlottesville-area forecast calls for the storm to roll in Sunday night and stay through Monday morning, dropping 3 to 6 inches of snow, topped by a tenth of an inch of ice, before ending in rain, freezing rain and sleet Monday afternoon.
“The worst will be gone by noon Monday,” Travis Koshko, chief meteorologist at CBS19, told The Daily Progress. “The roads are certainly going to be tricky Monday.”
Koshko called the incoming inclement weather “an old-fashioned snowstorm with some ice on top.” He said that snow is expected to start at about 8 or 9 p.m. Sunday and last until sunrise Monday, changing to an icy mix early Monday morning. Little or no additional accumulation is expected from Monday afternoon’s precipitation, he said.
It’s been some time since the Charlottesville area has seen a snowstorm of this size. Last winter, the largest storm brought roughly 3 inches to the region. The winter before that, there was less than an inch of snow in Charlottesville for the first time in recorded history. This winter looks to be snowier: Already, on Friday, a snow squall briefly dropped a few flurries on the city.
Whatever the storm clouds bring, the local crews who clear the mess are ready for action this weekend.
“We are brining starting Saturday morning,” Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Sharon Ketcham told The Daily Progress. She said that VDOT’s road crews, which take care of local roads in Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Madison counties, also have “chemicals standing by” in case freezing rain enters the weekend picture.
Ketcham said that the best way people can help is to make sure emergency kits for their vehicles are complete, finalize safety preparations at home and plan to stay there until the storm is over.
She recommended visiting vdot.virginia.gov for tips on what to include in an emergency kit, items such as cellphone chargers, blankets, jumper cables, water and shelf-stable foods.
Those who must travel, Ketcham says, should buckle up, honor speed limits, allow plenty of distance between vehicles and be sure to have refreshed supplies in their emergency kit.
“The safest place is inside,” Ketcham said. Those who do venture out, she said, should be sure to stay informed on the weather forecasts and pay close attention to the drivers sharing the road with you.
Jonathan Dean, public service manager with Charlottesville’s Public Works Department, told The Daily Progress that the city’s snow crew includes about 70 people from Public Works and other departments who are preparing for different weather scenarios.
“We could start pretreating as early as Saturday night,” Dean said. “The start time for the precipitation is sort of up in the air. Depending on the forecast, you generally start 12 to 24 hours ahead of the storm.”
In addition to staying on top of forecasts, Charlottesville’s snow team is prepping its fleet of 29 designated plow trucks, which includes 14 larger vehicles and a host of pickup trucks and other vehicles retrofitted with equipment to clear roadways.
Dean said that city residents can make the crew’s job easier by driving thoughtfully on Sunday and staying home once they get there.
“If you don’t have to go out, stay in. It makes our jobs easier and safer,” Dean said. “Minimize your travel if you do have to go out. Don’t drive like it’s a regular sunny day out there.”
The city also has canceled Saturday’s planned leaf drop-off in anticipation of precipitation and to keep city workers free to respond to it.
At Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, three teams will stay busy around the clock keeping runways and taxi areas clear; maintaining safe sidewalks, steps and grounds; and making sure the terminal area stays safe from slip-and-fall hazards from precipitation tracked indoors.
Airport spokeswoman Stewart Key told The Daily Progress that team members have been training since October, familiarizing themselves with the equipment again after warmer seasons away.
“We brine early, usually,” she said. “We plan as efficiently as we can.”
CHO’s snow desk keeps everyone organized, keeping rotations running smoothly and making sure crew members get the food, breaks and sleep they need. “They all know what to do,” Key said.
Any decisions about flight delays and cancellations will be made by CHO’s three airlines, American, Delta and United, as flight conditions warrant, and not by the airport itself. As an airport authority, “we manage the grounds and facilities for the airport,” Key said. “We can’t make any of these decisions; we wait to hear from them.”
Key recommends downloading an air carrier’s app well before leaving home to stay informed about delays and other developments and avoid some travel stresses. That way, there’s no need to juggle emails and paperwork.
“If you have your airline app downloaded, they will let you know,” Key said. “Even if there isn’t bad weather, it’s all there in the app.”
If any flights end up being delayed, CHO’s terminal team will be working through the storm “to make sure any passengers are cared for,” Key said.
Travelers also can stay up to date by checking gocho.com.
Koshko said that, judging by the feedback he has received, “a lot of people are ready for a snow,” likely in part because students in several public school divisions in the area already have Monday off for a teacher workday. Charlottesville City Schools and those in Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Nelson and Orange counties will be closed Monday as scheduled.
Nelson County schools already are scheduled to reopen Wednesday after the division’s winter break.
In Louisa County, where a local state of emergency has been declared, schools also will resume classes on Wednesday, observing Monday and Tuesday as teacher workdays. However, this schedule change was made to accommodate Tuesday’s special election for the vacated Senate District 10 seat and not the storm.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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