UPDATE: Thousands still without power
According to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, 30 shelters were open throughout the state. Heavy snow caused nearly 55,000 power outages.
– 150 soldiers from the National Guard are dispatched to southwestern Virginia to assist with recovery.
– VDOT has made progress clearing major roads and interstates and is working to getting secondary road clear as well. Conditions, however, remain dangerous.
– State police has answered nearly 16,000 calls since Friday.
– The Department of Emergency Management is in the process of delivering 100,000 gallons of water to residents.
– Two deaths were confirmed to be related to the snow.
According to the Associated Press, Appalachian Power reported that 34,150 power outages this morning, down from 200,000 on Saturday afternoon.
Locally, city crews are working to clear secondary roads. “Crews are resalting and sanding primary roads this morning and special equipment is being acquired to take care of “ice potholes” such as the ones on 250,” says City Spokesperson Ric Barrick in a news release. Additionally, tonight’s City Council meeting has been canceled.
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The good news is that Christmas is only four days away. The bad news? The city’s reported 23" of snowfall could not have come at a worse time, and Charlottesville and Albemarle County may be feeling the effects of the weekend’s snowstorm for the next few days at least. As of this morning at 6am, The Virginia Department of Transportation has said all major Charlottesville and Albemarle roads are in "severe" condition.
U.S. 29 between Interstate 64 and the Nelson/Albemarle county line reopened Sunday, but drivers are still cautioned that the roads are dangerous. Only one road remains "impassable"—VA-53 East and West, or Scottsville Road, where Charlottesville Newsplex yesterday reported 20" of snowfall.
Some folks—and area businesses—are undeterred by the conditions. Danielle Taylor, who worked over the weekend at Mudhouse on the Downtown Mall, says the coffee shop was busy both Saturday and Sunday.
"It was mostly exciting for small children," she says. "It was hectic, though, for people trying to get to work or whose cars were plowed in." Those who braved the snow weren’t coming from too far away, Taylor told C-VILLE this morning. "Most of the people who came were walking from the UVA area or Belmont," she says.
If you’re Downtown this morning, you can expect some patchy areas of slush and ice, as well as big mounds of snow. Everywhere else? Find closings here.
Below, find a slideshow of snowy photos from over the weekend.
