TOP STORIES: Winter weather state of emergency, redistricting vote, Trump's board of peace
Both Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein have declared a state of emergency in anticipation of this weekend's forecast.
Gov. Spanberger declares state of emergency ahead of winter weather's arrivalDuring a press conference Thursday, Spanberger encouraged Virginians to stay home from Saturday evening to Monday morning. Across the border, Stein declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, urging North Carolinians to keep off the roads to assist first responders.
"State agencies are mobilized, and we are working closely with local governments and utility partners," Spanberger said.
“Please get ready. Get everything you need in advance of the storm and have a plan in case your power goes out," Stein said.
Both VDOT and NCDOT crews have been pre-treating roads, bridges and overpasses for the past few days. Dominion Energy officials say that since the region’s last major snowstorm, crews have spent the past year strengthening the electric grid. Lineworkers say heavy, wet snow and ice pose the greatest threat to power lines.
Virginians will likely vote on April 21 on whether the state's Congressional maps can be redrawn ahead of the 2026 midterms.
That is according to legislation filed by Del. Luke Torian (D-Prince William), which was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday. The legislation had been initially filed on Wednesday. The Democratic-controlled General Assembly already passed the constitutional amendment to allow for a referendum on the mid-decade redistricting, but need to pass separate legislation to set the date for the special election and the language that voters will see on the ballot.
In a statement, House Minority Terry Kilgore (R-Scott) said the Democratic lawmakers are trying to "rig maps against the will of the voters." Spanberger commented on the redistricting push during her joint address on Monday, saying the amendment "is a response to what we're seeing in other states that have taken extreme measures to undermine democratic norms."
President Donald Trump on Thursday inaugurated his Board of Peace to lead efforts at maintaining a ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas.
Trump unveils Board of Peace initiative at DavosIn a speech at the World Economic Forum, Trump sought to create momentum for a project to map out a future of the war-torn Gaza Strip, insisting that “everyone wants to be a part” of the body he said could eventually rival the United Nations — despite many U.S. allies opting not to participate. Trump also uninvited Canada from his Board of Peace, signaling a growing rift between the two countries.
The event featured Ali Shaath, the head of a new, future technocratic government in Gaza, announcing that the Rafah border crossing will open in both directions next week. But there was no confirmation of that from Israel, which said only that it would consider the matter next week.
The Gaza side of the crossing, which runs between Gaza and Egypt, is currently under Israeli military control. Shaath, an engineer and former Palestinian Authority official from Gaza, is overseeing the Palestinian committee set to govern the territory under U.S. supervision.
This morning's weather: Very cold & windy with snow, rain, and ice this weekend
Meteorologist Myles Henderson says highs will drop back to the upper 40s today, near normal for this time of year. We will see a mix of partly to mostly cloudy skies with a stray shower possible.
Colder air and messy weather is set to move in this weekend as an area of low pressure slides across the Southeast to the Mid-Atlantic. A mix of snow, rain, and ice is possible for much of VA and NC from late Saturday to early Monday.
Winter weather forecast:
Snow showers will build in Saturday night for most of the area with a wintry mix in NE NC. As temperatures rise on Sunday, we will see a mix of precipitation from snow to sleet to freezing rain to rain. Most of the region will change over to rain by Sunday afternoon. As temperatures drop Sunday night we could return to a wintry mix. The mix of precipitation should clear out Monday morning.
Most of our snow accumulation is expected Saturday night to early Sunday morning. Expect higher snow totals to the north and lowers totals to the south. Some ice accumulation is likely Sunday to Monday morning with the mix of precipitation. Expect higher ice accumulation to the west and lower to the east. Snow and ice accumulation can result in downed trees and power outages, plan accordingly.
For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.
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