Snow Storm, Tips and Information
Posted on Mar 5th, 2013
Dear neighbors,
As you are probably aware, portions of Virginia including the Northern Virginia area are expecting periods of heavy snow and sustained winds over the next couple of days. While details of how the storm will affect our area are still uncertain, it looks like we may receive anywhere from 5 to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow, with northern and western Prince William County seeing more accumulation than the rest of the county. I wanted to take a moment this evening to provide you with information and tips that you may find helpful as you prepare to weather the storm.
Traveling and VDOT
By 4 a.m. on Wednesday, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will deploy more than 4,000 salt trucks and plows throughout Northern Virginia in preparation for the storm. Emergency tree contractors are on standby as strong winds could bring down trees and power lines. VDOT is urging commuters to stay off the road on Wednesday and let their crews clear the roads which are likely will be treacherous at times. Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary, because their snow removal work is much more effective if the crews do not have to work around passenger vehicles. If you absolutely have to go out, I would encourage you to call the business in advance, to make sure that they are open before you leave.
Major routes are treated with chemicals and plowed once two inches have fallen. In subdivisions and other low volume roads hills and other trouble spots are treated with sand and plowed when two inches have accumulated. In Northern Virginia, VDOT has one snow removal program for high volume roads such has Interstates 66, 95, 395, 495, Routes 1, 7, 15, 28, 50, Fairfax County Parkway, Prince William Parkway, etc.), and another snow removal program for subdivisions (main thoroughfares in neighborhoods, residential streets and cul de sacs). Therefore, crews will be working on high volume roads and in subdivisions concurrently. Within each of these programs, roads with the highest traffic volumes are cleared first.
VDOT reminds motorists to use caution when driving during wintry weather. Drivers should:
- Check current weather, road conditions and traffic before traveling at www.511Virginia.org or by calling 511
- Slow down and allow for extra time to reach your destination
- Be aware of potentially icy areas such as shady spots and bridges
- Keep a safe distance of at least five seconds behind other vehicles and trucks that are plowing the road
Click here for more information on northern Virginia’s snow removal program, and report road problems to 1-800-FOR-ROAD or novainfo@vdot.virginia.gov.
Prince William County Government
Information about Prince William County government closings will be posted at www.pwcgov.org and information about the school system will be posted at www.pwcs.edu.
Electricity and Power Outages
This event could also lead to additional homes losing electrical service or other utilities. Residents are encouraged to charge mobile phones and lap top computers before the snow arrives and place flashlights in an easy to find location. Should you lose power, you should immediately contact your electrical provider. You may want to add these numbers to your cell phone now, just in case.
- NOVEC workers have fueled all utility trucks and loaded them with extra equipment. Tree crews have sharpened their chainsaws to be ready to cut trees off power lines. Extra damage assessment personnel will be scouting ahead of crews to help locate fallen trees and branches. And NOVEC’s System Operations Center will have all hands on deck. NOVEC warns customers to never go anywhere near a downed power line. If you see a line that’s down, assume it’s energized and deadly. Keep others far away and report it immediately. To contact NOVEC, call 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500.
- Dominion Virginia Power is preparing for this storm and they are encouraging customers to do the same. This is a significant weather system and Dominion is closely monitoring weather forecasts and moving crews in advance of the storm to areas expected to be hardest hit by the event. Their crews and equipment are ready and they have called in additional resources. To contact Dominion, call 1-866-366-4357.
Weathering the Storm
If you have neighbors who are home-bound or have mobility issues, or even if they just live alone, you may want to check in with them to make sure that they are OK. Being trapped in a snowstorm can be very frustrating for all of us, but it can especially difficult for those of us who face loneliness as well.
Finally, make sure that your outdoor pets have plenty of food, fresh water and an opportunity to stay warm. You may want to bring those pets in for the night if possible because temperatures will drop very low and this is anticipated to be a very wet, heavy snow.
Attached you will find information including winter safety, preparedness tips and emergency contact information that I hope will help you as you make preparations.
Hopefully, everything will be back to normal before we know it. In the meantime… PLEASE BE CAREFUL!
Yours-
Marty Nohe
Marty Nohe
Martin E Nohe
Coles District Supervisor
703-792-4620
County Mailstop EA707