Hampton Roads might get another round of snow and ice this weekend as a nor’easter is expected to move across the South.
According to the National Weather Service in Wakefield, Hampton Roads has at least a 70% chance of “minor impacts” from the storm, with chances higher on the Peninsula. There is a 20% to 40% chance for “moderate impacts” — meaning more hazardous driving conditions, disruption to infrastructures and closures. Meteorologists estimate the nor’easter will arrive Friday evening.
Both sides of the Hampton Roads channel are expected to get about 2-3 inches of snow through 7 a.m. Saturday. Other isolated areas may receive up to 4 inches.
Wakefield meteorologists said in a briefing Wednesday that Norfolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth have about a 40% chance, and Williamsburg close to a 60% chance, of at least 2 inches of snow. In Virginia Beach, chances are “low” or below 40%.
The storm is expected to depart the area by Saturday afternoon, and the forecast likely will change based on the storm’s track and intensity. Meteorologists at AccuWeather report that there are two leading scenarios for the storm after it passes the Appalachian Mountains, said Paul Pastelok, lead long-range meteorologist.
“These scenarios range from the storm continuing on nearly straight to the east with little or no snow reaching the central Appalachians and upper mid-Atlantic, to a storm strengthening and turning northward with an extensive zone of major snow and ice reaching through the mid-Atlantic and into southeastern New England from Saturday to early Sunday,” he said.
Wind chills will be bitter, with values forecasted in the teens for the early hours Thursday.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday the state of emergency declared last Friday for earlier storms will remain in place for this weekend’s winter weather. Much of the area received a dusting of snow Sunday night, followed by freezing rain and low temperatures. State patrol reported at least 250 crashes during the storm by midday Monday, with several reporting injuries.
Youngkin said state police responded to almost 900 crashes and 925 disabled vehicles across Virginia over the past few days.
“It was a big snowstorm, and when it blew through starting on Sunday in southwest Virginia, through the state, we were well prepared, but it was a big storm,” he said. “We saw heavy, heavy snow and ice across the commonwealth. Almost the entire state saw some activity. ”
People in the South and the Northeast with travel plans Saturday should expect “substantial delays,” according to AccuWeather. Youngkin said pretreatment trucks are working to prepare roadways for upcoming winter conditions.
“I’m asking folks stay off the roads on Friday afternoon through Saturday, unless you absolutely have an emergency,” Youngkin said. “Otherwise, stay home. We’ve got work to do. We want to do it in partnership. We want to work together to keep all Virginians safe.”
Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com