The snow that has accumulated overnight shows no sign of stopping, as the National Weather Service has extended the Winter Storm Warning for the region into 5 a.m. Friday.
With accumulations of 12-18 inches in many parts of Stafford County, conditions will continue to be dangerous on roads, and power outages are still expected.
VDOT has been working through the night to clear the roads, but conditions are still extremely dangerous, and they are urging motorists to stay off of the roads.
More information from a Stafford County release:
Snow and freezing rain continues to fall throughout the 14- county Fredericksburg District. Road conditions are extremely hazardous and motorists are urged to stay off the roads until conditions improve.
During the overnight hours, VDOT and snow removal contractors battled periods of heavy snow and high winds resulting in blowing and drifting snow and poor visibility. These conditions hampered the snow removal operation.
Crews are using plow trains, multiple trucks staggered in each lane plowing and pushing snow off to the shoulder, to clear the travel lanes as quickly as possible.
Interstate 95, primary and secondary routes throughout the district remain snow and ice covered.
Crews will continue to focus on clearing the interstate, primary and high volume secondary routes before turning their attention to low volume secondary routes and subdivision streets.
And more information on the Winter Storm Warning from the National Weather Service:
…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EST FRIDAY…
* PRECIPITATION TYPE…HEAVY SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS…12 TO 18 INCHES.
* TIMING…SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH MID-MORNING.
SNOWFALL RATES MAY DECREASE LATE THIS MORNING INTO EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON. HOWEVER…ANOTHER ROUND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW
IS EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT.
* TEMPERATURES…RISING INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 30S.
* WINDS…NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH.
* IMPACTS…ROADS WILL BE SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY. TRAVEL WILL
BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. HEAVY WET SNOW COULD LEAD TO POWER
OUTAGES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS.
ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA
FLASHLIGHT… FOOD…AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN
EMERGENCY.
