"Blizzard Warning" - Expect A Hampton Roads Freak Out

Those from Upstate New York where I was born will no doubt find amusement in this forecast which would at best draw a yawn, but the Hampton Roads area of Virginia does NOT deal well with snow. Between a lack of snow removal equipment and drivers that are lacking even in good road conditions, it is a recipe for craziness.  Here's what WVEC-TV is forecasting:

The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warningfor parts of Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks, beginning tonight at 7 p.m. and lasting until 1 p.m. Thursday.Blizzard conditions expected. Travel will be very dangerous to impossible, including during the morning commute on Thursday. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 8 inches are expected with locally higher amounts up to 12 inches.

The Blizzard Warning is in place for Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Hampton, and Northampton in Virginia, and Camden and Currituck counties in North Carolina.

Snow Slams Hampton Roads

Backyard - the husband cleaned a path for our spoiled dogs to "do their business"

Those living in the Northeast and other heavy snow regions are likely laughing at the Hampton Roads region of Virginia this morning where 5-8 inches of snow has largely shut down the region.  The main problems: (i) lack of snow removal equipment - most neighborhood streets will not be touched - and (ii) drivers how display incredible levels of idiocy by driving far too fast, following too closely and going out on the roads when they have no real need to do so.

My office is closed today, but I will be working remotely from home and working on all the projects I brought home in case the snow forecast proved accurate.  The photos above and below were taken an hour or so ago and it is still snowing.  Once the snow stops, we will shovel the driveway!

View out front

UPDATE: Driveway shoveled (husband by the front door), but street full of snow and ice. I dread trying to drive to the office tomorrow!

I'm Ready for Summer!!

Usually by March residents of Hampton Roads sigh with relief and view winter as pretty much over.  This year?  Not so much despite the fact that it was 70 degrees yesterday and I was able to work in the yard wearing a tee-shirt.  Here's today's forecast for Norfolk:

Details for Monday, March 03
Rain and freezing rain...mixing with snow and sleet in the afternoon. Windy at times. Morning high of 39F with temps falling to near 25F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Snow accumulating 1 to 2 inches.
Evening: Scattered snow flurries and snow showers possible this evening. Becoming mostly clear later. Cold. Low 21F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 30%.

I am over winter!   Thankfully, in two weeks we will be in Key West for a long weekend and much needed escape to warm weather!

Hampton Roads Begins to Dig Out

Back yard view toward the mostly frozen creek - shoveled are for the dogs

It is hard to know for sure the total snowfall we received due to the blowing and drifting snow, but at the house it looks like 8 to 10 inches of snow.  News coverage of conditions on the block where my office is located in Norfolk seems to show a similar snowfall and totally un-plowed roads and parking lots.  Hence, I will be working from home today.  The images above and below are of our yard.  Hopefully, warmer weather tomorrow - it will not break the freezing mark today - will start the thaw and clear the roads.  No residential streets will be plowed anywhere in Hampton Roads. :)  Later we will venture to the boyfriend's salon to try to clear sidewalks and some parking areas.

Front yard view and the totally un-plowed street

Hampton Roads Braces for Winter Storm

As noted in the prior post, our trip to Richmond for Equality Virginia's "Day of Action" was cut short due to a winter storm pushing up from the southwest hugging the coast.  I had really hoped to attend the legislative reception this evening - I have attended before - which is a great opportunity to talk with legislators over a cocktail (or two).  The image above shows predicted snow falls which for many areas of the country would be a non-event.  But with little snow removal equipment - Virginia Beach which covers a land area of 249 square miles and has a population of 437,000 has 30 trucks/plows total - a heavy snowfall creates chaos.  At the moment we have roughly 2" on the ground in Hampton and it is coming down hard.

One of the big concerns in the local LGBT community is whether the storm might delay the hearings in Bostic v. Rainey set for 9:00AM on Thursday morning.  Norfolk is in the area predicted to receive 10-12" of snow by the time the storm passes through mid day tomorrow.  Obviously, we hope the hearing is not delayed so that the Court can proceed with its opinion which hopefully will strike down Virginia's gay marriage ban. 

Weather permitting, the local MMCC Community Church had planned a vigil for tomorrow evening at 6:30 PM in advance of the Hearing in Bostic v. Rainey the following morning, and a gathering on January 30th commencing at 8:30AM.  Details on both events can be found here. 

Hampton Roads Snow Day!

Hampton - Chesapeake Avenue covered in ice

Those in other parts of the country with colder climates may laugh at Hampton Roads today which is largely shut down due to on average 4 inches or so of snow.  The real problem is not the amount of snow but instead (i) a near total lack of highway equipment to deal with snow and ice and (ii) the way the temperature dropped rapidly and allowed a layer of ice to form on all the roadways under the layer of snow.  Other than the Interstates and a few main highways, the snow and ice will remain until melting once the weather warms.  With temperatures in the teens and a wind chill of zero, that will not happen today.  The photos give a feel for the winter views.  I will be working from home and logging into the office remotely (I gave my daughter/paralegal the day off).  With so many local drivers being military and from Florida, Southern California and other parts of the South, kamikaze like drivers pose a huge risk even when one knows how to drive in the snow and ice.

Backyard view of Robinson Creek (which has not frozen due to the wind stirring up the water)

Norfolk - Ocean View looking towards Chesapeake Bay

Norfolk - Ocean View tidal flooding - a common occurrence - last night from near gale force winds

Snowy Saturday Morning

It doesn't snow often in Hampton Roads, and when it does chaos generally ensues.  Yesterday's snow coincided with evening rush hour and created a traffic nightmare (i) because so many locals have no idea of how to drive in snow, (ii) the local cities have totally inadequate crews and trucks to deal with it, and (iii) the temperatures guaranteed that a thin layer off ice underlay the snow on the roads.  You know it's bad when you can feel your car sliding sideways when not even moving.  My drive home which normally takes 25-30 minutes max took about an hour and 15 minutes.  Fortunately, I left the office three hours early.  The boyfriend and I had a relaxing evening watching Downton Abbey season two in our effort to catch up with the third season.  This morning is clear and beautiful as the photo above looking across the backyard and Robinson Creek reveals.

After blogging this morning I have to make up for the three hours of work I did not get done yesterday due to leaving early.   This evening we are doing dinner with friends to celebrate a friend's birthday, so at least I have "reward" to look forward to if I am diligent today.

Hampton Roads Sees its Biggest Snowfall in 21 Years

This region is truly NOT equipped to deal with snow and as the snow continues to come down at a heavy rate, the Virginian Pilot reports that we've received the most snow in 21 years. Friends with homes fronting on Chesapeake Bay are experiencing 40 mph winds and we can hear the wind blowing across the harbor on the other side of our neighbors' home across the street. Here are some story highlights:
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The worst snowstorm to hit Hampton Roads in more than two decades likely will leave more than a foot of snow, and has closed businesses and shopping malls and left some roads impassable, including the Downtown Tunnel.
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Blizzard-like conditions transformed traveling on the snow-laden highways into a slow and dangerous proposition. As of about 1 p.m., police reported close to 250 automobile accidents – none fatal in South Hampton Roads. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel reduced speed limits to 25 mph and fleets of snow plows tried to keep main roads clear as inches of snow continued dumping on the region. Norfolk International Airport remained open, but many airlines cancelled or delayed flights.
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About nine inches had fallen as of 1:30 p.m., he said. The region should see at least three more inches today. Lawson said as much as 14 inches could fall in Norfolk and a foot and a half in central Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
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The Downtown Tunnel was closed today shortly after noon by state officials who pleaded with drivers to stay off the roads. Nora Chivers, a VDOT spokesperson, said heavy hands of snow created “near white-out conditions” at the tunnel.

The tunnel likely will remain closed until this evening, she said. Traffic is being diverted at Effingham Street in Portsmouth and at City Hall Avenue or Waterside Drive in downtown Norfolk. The Midtown Tunnel remains open, Chivers said. Many secondary roads in Hampton Roads could become impassable.

Rare Tidewater Major Snowfall

Sadly, our get together with my family today is canceled as Hampton Roads gets hit by a major snow - at least by local standards - with 8 inches on the ground at the about 8:45 AM with snow falling at a rate of 2-3 inches per hour in some areas. The photos on this post were taken a little before 9:00AM (the cars had been swept off only a few minutes before the photo was taken). My older two children will have to stay in Charlottesville another day and my youngest will stay home at my house in Norfolk where she lives. Bandit, our dog - a very spoiled full sized Chihuahua - is not a happy camper whatsoever since he doesn't even like to get his feet in the snow. It will be a day for hanging at the house and staying indoors.

Snowy Charlottesville Saturday

My posting frequency was down yesterday since we drove up to Charlottesville last evening and were pretty much exhausted after busy days and an uneventful drive. Thankfully, my mother seems pretty good and also seems to be accepting the fact that she will not be driving henceforth and likes the aid that comes in to take her to appointments and on errands, etc. Needless to say I am hugely relieved after hearing disparate reports from my sisters, each of whom work in the medical field.

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We woke up this morning to a blanket of about three inches of snow on the ground with the snow continuing to wall steadily. Reportedly, Virginia Beach - which typically gets the least snow of anywhere in the state - already has four inches of snow. I'm sure people will be freaking out and the biggest hazard will be drivers that know nothing about driving in snow. Having learned to drive in the snow country of central New York, I had plenty of practice driving in many feet of snow.

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Today will be a day for staying inside and reading a good book - my mother is an avid reader - watching old movies and , of course, blogging. Naturally, the boyfriend has taken over the kitchen as is the norm when we visit. Looking out the living room window through the falling snow, I cannot even see the summit upon which Jefferson's Monticello - i.e., "Little Mountain" - sits a mile away off to the east northeast. The snow is beautiful and a change from what us Tidewater folks are used to seeing.

Snow? Region could wake up Sunday to as much as 4 inches of white stuff

Readers in colder, snowier climates will no doubt laugh that such an event would merit a headline in the local newspaper. However, southeastern Virginia rarely gets snow and when it does, you would think that we had been hit by a blizzard. People do NOT know how to drive in snow and the local cities only have equipment to tend to the main roads and highways. Thus, back in subdivisions, neighborhoods, and rural areas, the stuff stays on the streets until it melts away naturally, often turning to glare ice before going away. Hence, driving a Jeep with 4 wheel drive has value besides being able to drive on the beach in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Here's a bit of our forecast:

As much as 4 inches of snow could be on the ground by Sunday in metropolitan areas, with even more in interior sections of Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina. “This certainly is the best shot at snowfall of this magnitude in some time,” said Bill Sammler, the warning coordination specialist at the National Weather Service office in Wakefield.

“I would say the chances are close to 50/50 and they may actually be higher than that,” he said Friday. The Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina beginning this afternoon.

Overnight, snow should cover the region down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. “The Norfolk area – in fact, most of Hampton Roads going into interior northeast North Carolina – is going to be in the area that gets the heaviest total precipitation,” Sammler said. The last time the region received 4 inches or more of snow was on the day after Christmas in 2004. Isle of Wight and Southampton counties got as much as a foot.