Mathilde Liskin, an eighth grader from Norfolk, wishes it would snow more.
Liskin, along with several of her neighborhood friends, took to the old onramp on Tidewater Drive across from the Sarah Constant Beach Park in Ocean View for sledding Saturday morning. The sun was just peeking through as the half-dozen kids raced down the hill on sleds and innertubes. A light layer of snow was left after the weekend’s snowstorm moved over the area Friday night.
Flakes began to drop by midnight for most Hampton Roads cities, but by dawn, the system had moved out of the area.
Many of the children had been up since about 7 a.m., waiting to be let loose on the few hills in coastal Virginia.
“We used to come here to this hill when I was younger,” said Liskin, who moved to Norfolk when she was 2. “I remember coming here with my dad, and we would go down in our old sled, and that was fun. I showed (my friends) this ramp the last time it snowed, so we decided to come here again.”
By mid-morning, those sledding in Ocean View began shed their outer layers as the day got warmer. A man-made ramp made from snow on the hill slowly began to shrink, making for minimal air-time during sledding. A pile of gloves formed at the bottom of the hill next to a small tree being used as a makeshift coat closet.
For much of the area, the snow had gone as quickly as it came. By the time most Hampton Roads residents were up and moving on the chilly Saturday, roads were mostly clear and blades of grass were poking through on front lawns.
On Friday night, though, state troopers were busy. Virginia State Police reported more than 400 incidents statewide as of noon Saturday. Of those, Division 5, which responds to crashes and events in Hampton Roads, responded to 37, said Sgt. Michelle Anaya, public information officer for the state police.
The region got less snow than anticipated. The latest forecast before the storm arrived estimated about 4 inches could drop over south Hampton Roads, but actual amounts reported by the National Weather Service had totals closer to 2 inches. To the north, areas near Williamsburg received a more respectable amount, with totals reaching roughly 3.8 inches.
Despite the melt, sledders continued to take to the hills to get their adrenaline rushes, not knowing when the next snow may come. According to data from the NWS, this week’s winter weather marked the first measurable snow in most of Hampton Roads in the past three years. Climate data showed January 2022 was the last time residents of the Tidewater area had a meaningful winter precipitation. That month, more than 11 inches were measured in Norfolk.
Meteorologists said Saturday next week will bring a reprieve from wintery precipitation, but low temperatures will remain. Forecasts for the next few days include lows in the 20s with highs sticking around the mid-30s or low-40s with sunshine.
“The coldest day looks to be Wednesday as a good chunk of the area struggles to reach freezing,” meteorologists said in a briefing. “Forecast overnight lows are in the teens or lower 20s, though these could end up lower in spots depending on any snowpack. If these temperatures occur with any wind, wind chills could easily drop below 5 degrees.”
Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com