UPDATE: Monday, February 8, 9:10am
Dominion Power expects to restore power to 98 percent of its customers by tonight.
According to a news release, crews worked to restore service to 271,000 of the 287,000 who lost electricity during this weekend’s snowstorm. Most outages happened in the Charlottesville area and in Northern Virginia.
As of 8:55am, 6,373 customers were still out of power in the Shenandoah Valley/West Piedmont Area.
Crews are working at more than 1,300 sites, and here is a list for our area:
Lewis Mountain Rd
Redland Farm Rd
Hemlock Ln
Glenorchy Dr
Jefferson Park Ave
Briarcliff Ave
Burchs Creek Rd
Scottsville Rd
Westview Rd & Old Farm Rd
Mcintire Rd
Keith Valley Road and 250
RT 649
Amherst St
Market St
Rt 729
Watts Passage Rd
Break Heart Rd
Beechwood Dr
Route 621
US 29 Hwy
Rio Rd
RT 732
Villaverde Ln
Thomas Jefferson Pkwy
Mimosa Dr
Oxford Rd
Park St
Rt 250 E
Tufton Farm- Route 73
RT 600
Burnt Mill Rd
Jefferson Park Ave
Bleak House Rd
Lake Monticelli Dr
RT 53 off RT 15
RT 660
Route 660 & Route 661
Wayside Pl
Route 686
Melbourne Rd
Rt. 53 off Rt. 15
UPDATE: Sunday, February 7, 11:28am
At present, a search for Albemarle County on Dominion Power’s outage map lists 9,380 customers affected by the snowstorm of the last two days, out of 39,262 customers—roughly 24 percent of customers. An e-mail from Albemarle County mentions that at least one local resident "attempt[ed] to heat their home by using a charcoal grill in the kitchen," and urged caution using alternative heating. Sixteen people and three dogs made use of the county’s emergency shelter at Monticello High School.
E-mail updates from the City of Charlottesville have been less frequent, but the city continues to update its snow page. At least one city truck was crippled by a flat tire on West Main Street yesterday evening due to road conditions, but was removed from the road by this morning.
UPDATE: Saturday, February 6, 1:52pm
Roughly half of the roof of the 84 Lumber Company, located on Route 29 North, caved in under the weight of snow accumulation, according to an e-mail update from county community relations director Lee Catlin. No one was inside the building when the roof fell in; a response team is currently dealing with electrical issues caused by the collapse.
Speaking of electrical issues, Dominion Power’s website features a map of customers affected by power outages. The map was last updated at 1:41pm, and shows three areas in Albemarle County with power outages ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 customers affected.
When the city and county tell you to stay off roads, they’re not kidding. Numerous large trees have fallen around the 250 Bypass, and teams were working to remove a few from the exit ramp from the bypass to Fontaine Avenue. Below, two photos from this afternoon, on the 250 Bypass.
UPDATE: Friday, February 5, 5:53pm
Roughly 12 hours into today’s snowfall, and an estimated 800 county residents are without power, according to an e-mail from Albemarle County Community Relations Director Lee Catlin. The e-mail also asks that any locals with an available chainsaw call 979-INFO if they can provide assistance removing fallen trees from roads. Information on more closings in the City of Charlottesville is visible here.
UPDATE: Friday, February 5, 9:11am
And away we go! The first snowflakes of what may be a major storm began to fall at roughly 6:30am, and the University of Virginia’s go-to climatologist, Jerry Stenger, told the Daily Progress that he’s "leaning towards 16 to 20 inches for Charlottesville," with surrounding areas receiving a bit more.
Jefferson Park Avenue and West Main Street were noticeably clear of traffic this morning, and free parking was still available in the Water Street and Market Street parking garages as of 8:40am—all to suggest that yesterday’s comments from city and county officials (see below) went heeded. For those of you planning airline getaways this weekend, be forewarned: The Charlottesville Albemarle Airport anticipates flight cancellations, and is posting updates regarding flight arrivals online.
The Virginia Department of Forestry, headquartered in Fontaine Research Park, told Richmond news station WHSV that it has a half-dozen "strike teams"—many armed with chainsaws and bulldozers—at the ready to address emergency situations.
And speaking of strike teams, the UVA men’s basketball squad has yet to be cancelled, according to VirginiaSports.com—proving that, this year, the Wahoos are truly unstoppable.
Keep your neighbors alert to local conditions—post updates in the comments section below.
UPDATE: Thursday, February 4, 5:27pm
City, county and UVA officials announced this afternoon that City Hall will close tomorrow, as will County offices. Area officials “are encouraging area employers and businesses to take similar actions,” said County Executive Bob Tucker.
For the first time since 2003, UVA classes will be cancelled.
As reported by the National Weather Service, heavy snow is expected to begin tomorrow morning, continuing until Saturday evening for total accumulations of 20 to 28 inches.
Marge Thomas, emergency management coordinator, said that the area could experience some power outage.
Tomorrow morning at 8am, the county is activating its emergency operating center with several emergency service personnel involved, “to give support to what’s going on in the streets,” she said.
Monticello High School will serve as a shelter, if needed.
“We want people to be safe, to stay in, to stay home and stay off the roads,” said City Manager Gary O’Connell. “We urge people to be patient. It’s an opportunity for people to be with family.” He added that this storm is a great opportunity to help a neighbor.
Only essential employees in the Acamemic Division and in the Medical Center will report to work as scheduled. UVA COO Leonard Sandridge said that 100 to 150 UVA staff, working on 12-hour shifts, will be working throughout the weekend to clear the roads around Grounds.
These employees will be staying in hotels in the area and so will police officers serving during the storm.
Police will be fully staffed throughout the weekend. County and City schools are closed tomorrow as well.
For additional information, please call (434) 979-4636.
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UPDATE: Thursday, February 4, 12:39pm
The City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County have declared a state of emergency in light of the massive winter snow storm headed for the region this weekend. City Manager Gary O’Connell and County Executive Bob Tucker declared emergency to ensure residents are ready and prepared for 16 to 24 inches of snow starting tomorrow morning.
According to a news release, residents are asked to go grocery shopping today and have family emergency plans ready for the weekend, including means for dealing with potential power outages.
"Local emergency responders are ready for whatever comes from this storm, but it is important for the community to take action today to be ready for tomorrow," said Marge Thomas, emergency management coordinator for the area.
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UPDATE: Thursday, February 4, 11:22am
The National Weather Service updated its predictions for this upcoming weekend: A winter storm warning is in effect from 6am on Friday until late Saturday evening with snow acculumations from 16 to 24 inches.
Parking Downtown during the upcoming major snowstorm will be restricted.
Here is a list of streets and roads that will be affected, beginning at midnight tonight and lasting until the snow has been cleared:
-Areas along Water and Market Streets, from Ridge to 10th Street
-Areas along East Jefferson Street
-Areas along High Street
-Areas along West Main Street
-Cars will be towed if parked in violation.
The city is asking residents not to park on the street in their neighborhoods, where possible, to allow city crews to clear snow.
The City of Charlottesville is also offering free parking in the Downtown parking garages on Market and Water streets.
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Whether it’ll be 20 or 40 inches, this upcoming snow storm will be yet another for the record books. So much so, in fact, that Gov. Bob McDonnell has already declared a state of emergency.
According to a news release from the Office of the Governor, the possibility of 20 inches of snow and up to three-quarters of an inch of freezing rain will make all roads hazardous.
“This storm will bring severe weather to many parts of Virginia. Please stay alert to the forecast for your area and make sure your family and neighbors are ready for hazardous weather conditions,” said McDonnell.
“As the storm affects your area, please stay off the roads and contact local authorities if help is needed.”
Declaring a state of emergency before a major storm means that agencies have the time to prep for what’s to come. For example, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management has being in contact with the National Weather Service for any update on the storm.
State Police and VDOT are prepping roads and the state National Guard “has been authorized to bring personnel on state active duty. The Virginia Guard Joint Operations Center has started the notification process instructing personnel to report for duty.”
