The busiest travel day of the year is a bit messier than usual in Virginia this year and VDOT officials are urging motorists to delay travel to the western and central regions of the state until weather and road conditions improve.
Snow and mixed precipitation across portions of Virginia have already impacted roadways on the Interstate 81 corridor, Interstate 64 in Augusta County and Interstate 95 in Northern Virginia.
Current road conditions are minor (isolated spots of snow, ice or slush) to moderate (snow or ice on major portions of the roadway) in areas in and around Bristol, Salem, Staunton and Culpeper.
Additional rain and snow is expected to come in Wednesday night and Thursday morning affecting the areas in and around Bristol, Salem, Lynchburg, and Northern Virginia on Thursday. Expected Thanksgiving travel congestion along with snow accumulations and potential icing could continue to make travel difficult.
Drivers are reminded to be extremely careful as roadways throughout the state could become slick due to damp conditions and low temperatures. Pavement temperatures will remain at or near freezing by late afternoon and stay below freezing through tomorrow morning. Pay particular attention to bridges, overpasses and shady areas, which tend to freeze first.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is urging motorists to monitor weather reports, adjust travel schedules and avoid driving in potentially slick and icy conditions.
VDOT crews were deployed overnight and began treating roads as accumulation appeared. Crews will continue treating icy areas and plow snow as long as conditions exist.
- You can call 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) to report road hazards or ask road-related questions at VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center
Beat the Backups with NewsChannel 3’s interactive traffic maps.
