Here is the latest on the winter storm. Check back for updates
(4:10 PM) Blacksburg Transit will operate on Sunday, Jan. 24 in Blacksburg. As normal, there is no service in Christiansburg on Sunday. Staff is checking road conditions to determine if any detours are necessary.
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(4:05 PM) Virginia State Police are on the scene with several stuck and disabled vehicles in the westbound lanes of Interstate 64 on Afton Mountain. Drifting snow is causing “white out” conditions on the east side of the mountain in Albemarle County. No injuries reported, just stopped traffic in both westbound lanes of I-64. Motorists are advised to avoid this area and to delay any travel plans through the Afton Mountain area.
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(2:25 pm) Below are facts and figures from Governor McAuliffe’s office about the storm in Virginia as of 1:45 pm.
Number of power outages – 3,037 customers
Number of National Guard personnel deployed – 535 personnel
Airport status – Norfolk operational for arrivals and departures; Richmond open and expecting flights late this afternoon; Dulles and Reagan National have suspended flights and are working to clear runways. Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Shenandoah Valley airports are currently closed.
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(12:27 PM) Governor McAuliffe is appealing to Virginia residents to stay off the roads, even after a fierce winter storm has moved on. Some parts of northern Virginia are dealing with close to three feet of snow. The governor says storm-fighting efforts are costing the state $2 million to $3 million an hour.
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(12:03 PM) Pavement is beginning to appear on some of the most heavily-plowed and trafficked Roanoke streets, but city officials say crews may need another day or so to clear many side streets. They say staying home will help snowplows get the job done.
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(11:54 AM) Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport’s web site shows most flights cancelled until late afternoon. You will have to check ahead if you have travel plans out of ROA.
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(11:41 AM) We dodged a bullet when it came to power outages says AEP , which released the outside crews it had in place in case power lines came down in the snowstorm. The drier consistency of the snow kept it from being heavy enough to break trees and limbs – and crashing down on those power lines.
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(10:40 AM) All flights into and out of Lynchburg Regional Airport are now cancelled for today. If you have plans for tomorrow, you are urged to check with American or your airline.
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(10:37 AM) Dominion Virginia Power reports about 4,400 Virginia customers are in the dark this morning, but just a few of them in our region. Most are in the Hampton Roads area. At this hour, Appalachian Power has no reports of outages in its service area.
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(10:19 AM) Due to full truck stops and to prevent tractor trailers from blocking Interstate 81.VDOT has closed off-ramps at several exits. Some of those include exit 323 in the Clear Brook area of Frederick County, exit 291 in the Toms Brook area of Shenandoah County and exit 213 in the Greenville area of Augusta County. Check 511 Virginia dot org for the latest road conditions.
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(10:17 AM) Multiple businesses are closed today including Valley View, Tanglewood, River Ridge and New River Valley Malls.
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(10:14 AM) Yesterday state troopers responded to more than 1,000 crashes across the Commonwealth. At last word there was only one fatal accident,that happened in the Norfolk area. A trooper was injured last night while assisting a disabled vehicle on Interstate 64 in New Kent County,he was taken to a Richmond hospital for minor injuries.
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(9:55 AM) The Monster Jam truck shows scheduled at the Berglund Center today will go on as scheduled and since last night’s show was cancelled there has been another performance added tomorrow for 1 p.m.
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(9:54 AM) Valley Metro has suspended all transit services for Saturday. Smart Way Connector will resume Sunday weather permitting.
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(9:16 AM) All flights into and out of Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport are cancelled until mid-afternoon. It’s uncertain right now whether service can resume later today. You’ll need to check with your airline if you had planned to fly out today.
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(9:15 AM) A winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 tomorrow morning. Look for blowing and drifting snow today. An additional 2 to 6 inches of accumulation is possible. The snow should begin to taper off this evening. Highs in the upper 20s.
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(9:14 AM) Valley Metro has suspended operations for today.They will resume tomorrow as weather conditions permit. Valley Metro plans to issue a status update after 5 this afternoon.
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(7:15 AM) The latest on the roads from VDOT, Salem District: As of this morning Interstates 77, 81 and 581 are in moderate condition, primary roads range from moderate to severe condition and the majority of secondary roads and neighborhood streets are in severe condition.
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(7:15 am) At last check with Appalachian Power no outages have been reported….but APCO says gusty winds today will be an aggravating factor for snow on power lines and crews will remain ready to respond.
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(7:00 am) Valley Metro bus service remains suspended for now in the Roanoke Valley. They plan to issue a status update after 8:30 this morning.
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(7:00 am) VDOT’s Lynchburg District reports most primary roads remain snow covered .. and secondary ones have yet to see a plow in many cases. They remind you that the goal is to have all state-maintained roads cleared within 48 hours after the storm ends.
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(5:50 pm) Among Saturday’s cancellations: The Taubman Museum of Art and area DMV offices. In Roanoke, Valley Metro asks you to call for service updates. (540) 982-2222.
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(4:20 pm) I-77S at 2.5 miles north of Junction Route 620-Exit 19 in Carroll County. Incident: tractor trailer accident. The south right lane is closed. Motorists can expect potential delays.
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(3:25 pm) I-81N at 0.2 mile north of Junction Route 619-Exit 84. Incident: vehicle accident. The north left lane is closed. Motorists can expect potential delays.*
I-81S at 0.3 mile south of Junction Route 619-Exit 84. Incident: multi-vehicle accident. The south right lane and right shoulder are closed. Motorists can expect potential delays.
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(2:55pm) This snowstorm should be great news for the region’s ski areas — once skiers and snowboarders are able to safely reach them. Wintergreen Resort expects the snowfall to produce some of the best skiing conditions in a decade, and it should help ensure good skiing for weeks to come.
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(2:15 pm) On I-81 at mile marker 84 in Wythe County, motorists can expect potential delays due to a multi-vehicle accident. All south lanes are closed.
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On I-64 at mile marker 30 in Alleghany County, motorists can expect potential delays due to a vehicle accident. The west right lane and right shoulder are closed.
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(1:05 pm) On I-77 at mile marker 26.5 in the County of Wythe, motorists can expect potential delays due to a tractor trailer accident. The south left shoulder, right lane, and right shoulder are closed.
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On I-81 at mile marker 126 in the County of Montgomery, motorists can expect potential delays due to a tractor trailer accident. The north right lane and right shoulder are closed.
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(12:40 pm) The Virginia 511 web site has been inaccessable since noon. We are not receiving any 511 updates either via email or Twitter. We are removing all previous traffic posts until we are able to access the information again.
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(11:36 am) Appalachian Power reports few outages right now in its Virginia service area, but it expects the number to grow rapidly as the snowdepths increase. The utility has hundreds of extra personnel on standby to respond.
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(11:35 am) Roanoke Regional Airport’s web site shows almost all flights today are already cancelled .. and the status of those still on the board may well change. If you have air travel plans any time through tomorrow, you are urged to contact your airline.
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(11:31 am) VDOT reports its Lynchburg-area crews will work 12-hour shifts during and after the snowstorm. They have close to 600 pieces of state and contract equipment available for use during the storm. The goal is to have all state-maintained roads passable within 48 hours after the storm is over.
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(11:30 am) Roanoke Regional Airport’s web site shows almost all flights today are already cancelled .. and the status of those still on the board may well change. If you have air travel plans any time through tomorrow, you are urged to contact your airline.
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(10:54 AM) Valley Metro is suspending bus service. The last bus will leave Campbell Court at 11:15 a.m. After that time, all bus service will be suspended until further notice. The StarLine Trolley service also will be suspended until further notice beginning at 12:15 p.m. today.
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(10:36 am) From Virginia State Police: Troopers responded to a jackknifed tractor-trailer in the southbound lanes of I-77 at the 26 mile marker on the New River Bridge in Wythe County. The driver suffered non-life threatening injuries and has been transported to a nearby hospital. Cause of the crash remains under investigation. Southbound lanes of I-77 are closed at this time as crews work to clean up debris from the crash and clear the scene.
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(9:40 am) VDOT reports some parts of southwest Virginia already have eight inches of snow on the ground. Driving conditions will be treacherous and motorists are urged stay off the roads during the storm. In the southwestern and central southern regions of Virginia, roads, including I-81 are in mostly moderate condition with snow or ice covering a major portion of the roadway, passable with caution.
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(9:30 am) The Valley Metro SmartWay bus service will be suspended due to weather conditions. The last SmartWay bus leaving Virginia Tech Squires Center will be at 9:15 a.m…
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VDOT says crews work to clear interstates and primary roads first, then major secondary roads with vital emergency and public facilities, then other secondary roads and subdivision streets. Crews focus their efforts on those roads that carry the most traffic.
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Some area restaurants say as long as the power is on their doors will stay open during the snowstorm. Andy Schlosser is the Executive Chef at Metro in downtown Roanoke he tells WDBJ7 there is enough of a community that needs a place to eat, drink and watch the snow fall. In Salem the owner of Mac and Bob’s says he welcomes the snow and has never closed due to weather.
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AAA Mid-Atlantic is urging motorists to use extreme caution when traveling during the winter storm. Spokesperson Martha Meade says remember to increase following distance and use extra caution on bridges. And in the event you find your car is skidding, ease off the gas or break and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.
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Now that snow is on the ground Roanoke Fire-EMS wants to make sure you’re staying safe. The department wants to remind you to dress warmly, watch out for slick spots, wear helmets when sledding or snowboarding and don’t over exert yourself when shoveling.
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A Melrose Avenue church is sheltering homeless people in Roanoke through the weekend in anticipation of the winter storm. Paradise Cathedral, at 1301 Melrose Ave, began feeding and providing shelter to homeless people yesterday.. the church’s bishop tells the Roanoke Times about 40 people came through the church’s doors.
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WFIR and WLNI will be with you through Saturday for live winter storm updates. Our storm coverage tomorrow will begin tomorrow morning in our seven o’clock hour.
