CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — The Virginia Department of Transportation is urging motorist to watch forecasts closely and adjust travel plans as needed ahead of winter weather this weekend.
VDOT says their crews began pretreating roadways Thursday as forecasted wintry weather heads towards the Commonwealth. Officials say they use a salt and water brine solution that acts as a barrier between the pavement and any ice that forms.
With that in mind, VDOT is asking drivers to provide pretreatment crews with extra room on the roadways.
It is looking more likely that a winter storm will impact Virginians on Sunday. How much (or how little) snow the winter storm brings to metro-Richmond will become clearer as the storm moves across the country.
The current thinking is that a wintry mix will approach Central Virginia on Sunday, with periods of sleet, snow, and rain lasting through the night and ending on Monday.
Model solutions show a wide range of scenarios, from very little precipitation to an all-out winter storm.
Some models call for less than an inch of snow in the metro-Richmond area.
Other models put the total between 1″ and 3″ of snow.
Accumulating snowfall will be likely with this system, especially in areas southwest of Richmond. The winter storm will exit the region Monday afternoon.
VDOT say crews will continue to pretreat roadways through Saturday ahead of the storm.