All travel throughout the Shenandoah Valley should be avoided tonight. Snow began in the area during the mid-morning hours. Although roads continue to be plowed, once the sun goes down, road surfaces will become icy and conditions treacherous.
Snow continues with heavy snow and high winds forecasted for tonight. Visibility during this weather will be very limited, particularly in unlit areas. Downed trees and power lines are possible, and may be difficult to see in areas with limited or no lighting.
As of mid-afternoon all roads in the Staunton District are in moderate condition. Here is the road condition listing:
- Interstate 64 – Moderate conditions in Augusta, Rockbridge and Alleghany counties.
- Interstate 66 – Moderate conditions in Warren County.
- Interstate 81 – Moderate conditions in Rockbridge, Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Frederick counties.
- Primary roads – Moderate conditions Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties
- Secondary roads – Moderate conditions in Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.
VDOT crews are now working on 12-hour shifts and will remain on this schedule throughout the storm and after as roads are cleared. The 11-county VDOT Staunton District has 1000 pieces of equipment including VDOT trucks and contractor equipment deployed for plow operations. There are 2000 people performing snow removal, which includes VDOT crews as well as contractors.
Anti-icing operations were performed on Thursday morning.
Wreckers are staged along the interstate. Plows are deployed on the interstate, primary and major secondary roads.
In Alleghany County approximately 5.5-miles of Route 606 (Sulphur Spring Road) will be closed to through traffic beginning at 11 p.m. Thursday. Route 606 is a narrow roadway through mountainous terrain, and can be dangerous during winter weather. The road will reopen when conditions allow. The closure will be between Route 699 (Morris Hollow Road) and Route 703 (Airport Road).
For winter weather road conditions go to www.511Virginia.org, look at the orange bar on the top of the page and click on “Text Views” and then click on “Road Condition Table”. Look at the pull down box that lists all jurisdictions. In this box individual counties can be chosen to view.
Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at 511Virginia.org. The 511 system is also available in app form. Visit VDOT’s Free Virginia 511 Tools to get your 511 app for android or iOS. Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511.
For other assistance call the VDOT Customer Service Center, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week. Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR- ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia’s roads.
The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr,Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at www.VirginiaDOT.org.
The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.
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