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VDOT crews working to clear roadways across the state

Posted at 7:38 PM, Dec 08, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-08 23:01:41-05

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Department of Transportation is working to clear Virginia roads as conditions worsen across the Commonwealth.

Several salt trucks arrived shortly after 6 p.m. at the VDOT facility on the Powhite Parkway. Crews are now headed to treat the roadways.

“Our road clearance priorities run from interstates, to primary routes, to secondary and neighborhood routes,” said VDOT Spokesperson Bethanie Glover. “The goal is to have all roads passable within 48 hours of a storm’s end and passable doesn’t necessarily mean bare pavement.”

Across 14 counties. VDOT has 62,000 tons of salt and 23,000 tons of sand to load onto 1200 pieces of equipment during the storm.

VDOT says they did not pretreat the roads in the afternoon, rather they wanted to wait until the snow accumulated over the course of the evening to clear them.

The department said crews are now working 12 hour shifts to clear the roads and keep Virginians safe. They added that some of their crews are resting for their overnight shift.

VDOT is warning commuters to stay safe on the roadways and limit unnecessary travel.

First snow of the year will accumulate

Snow from a storm system traveling up from the south began to dump snow in the Richmond-metro Friday.

The winter storm will bring snow for Richmond and points north and west this evening, with some rain or a precipitation mix in the south and east. In many areas, temperatures Friday evening will dip near or right above freezing. Overnight lows will be near freezing, with the exception being far southeastern Virginia.

Initial snow accumulation will be on grassy surfaces and some overpasses, with a transition to coverage of all surfaces overnight.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY  IN EFFECT FOR RICHMOND & POINTS NORTH AND WEST

Snow will continue periodically Saturday morning into Saturday afternoon.  This snow may mix with sleet at times in Richmond and points south and east during the day.  Highs will be in the low to mid 30s.

Snowfall accumulations of three to six inches are likely in the metro, especially northwest of Richmond, with isolated higher totals.  Totals of one to three inches are possible for areas well southeast of Richmond.   As temperatures drop to freezing and the snow continues, accumulation on untreated roads will occur.

Sunday will be partly to mostly sunny with highs around 40.

Another surge of cold air will arrive next Tuesday, bringing a slight chance for a few flurries followed by even colder air.  Highs on Wednesday might not get above freezing in some areas of the Virginia Piedmont.

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