Just as residents are digging their way out of their snow-covered Lynchburg neighborhoods, officials are preparing for two more storms that threaten to bury the area once again.
A winter weather advisory is in effect today until 4 p.m. for a smaller storm consisting of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain, according to Robert Stonefield, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Blacksburg.
With less than an inch expected, Stonefield called this storm more of a nuisance than anything else. However, coupled with the refrozen packed snow that cakes some area streets, roads could become hazardous once again.
Dave Owen, director of Lynchburg’s public works department, said residential roads have all been scraped but crews revisited areas last night to drop chemicals on icy areas in preparation for today’s ice.
“Some roads will be down to the pavement,” Owen said. “Some won’t. We may have to go back and hit icy spots.”
Owen said last weekend’s storm, which dropped just more than 11 inches on the Lynchburg area, seemed to keep more people inside, which helped public works crews to clear roads more effectively.
The snow that blanketed the region in December was another story, as people tried to finish their Christmas preparations, leaving cars stranded and densely packing snow on the roads. That made it difficult for plow operators to effectively clear the roads.
Stonefield said this winter has been unusual. Normal snowfall for a season in the city is 17.7 inches, Stonefield said. So far this winter, 26.9 inches of snow has fallen and the region is only now hitting what are typically the harsher winter months.
“There’s still more winter to come,” Stonefield said, adding that more than a decade has passed since the region has seen this much snow.
Officer Ronnie Sitler, of the Lynchburg Police Department, said officers have had to respond to a few car crashes, but overall, Monday was quiet.
“Most of the major roadways are passable and the secondary roadways are getting passable,” Sitler said. “As long as people slow down, pay attention and use due caution, it’s pretty passable.”
By Thursday, another major storm is expected to move into the region, but Stonefield said he doesn’t know what mix of precipitation it will yield.
“It is warmer, so we aren’t sure how much snow or rain or a combination of snow and rain we will get,” he said.
Schools are closed today in Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties and in Lynchburg.
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