Old Dominion News

A winter weather warning has been issued for Hampton Roads, predicting 8-12 inches of snow and freezing temperatures from Wednesday morning through Thursday. The forecasted snowfall, strong winds, and sub-freezing temperatures are expected to create hazardous travel conditions. Authorities advise motorists to avoid travel during the storm until conditions improve later in the week.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Hampton Roads District has completed pretreatment of state-maintained roadways and initiated 24-hour operations starting Wednesday morning. Crews will work in 12-hour shifts to treat and clear snow from interstates and state-maintained roads. The anticipated high snowfall rates may require multiple passes by trucks to make roads passable, meaning bare pavement may not be visible immediately after the storm.

VDOT prioritizes roads that carry the most traffic, focusing first on interstates and primary roads numbered 1 to 599. Major secondary roads with vital emergency facilities or high traffic volumes are also prioritized. Low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated once higher-priority routes are cleared.

To aid snow plowing operations, the Norfolk Reversible Express Lanes will remain open westbound until as early as 11 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 20.

VDOT is responsible for maintaining over 900 lane miles of interstates, more than 1,800 lane miles of primary roads, and over 7,270 miles of secondary roads in Hampton Roads. Individual municipalities maintain their own roadways.