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Winter Storm Hits Area, Another Coming
The new year has gotten off to a snowy, icy and cold start with the arrival of the most significant winter storm in three years.
Starting Sunday afternoon, the storm brought snow, sleet and freezing rain to the Rockbridge area, shutting down schools, government offices and local services while creating hazardous driving conditions. Officials urged residents to avoid travel as crews worked to clear and treat the roads, and power companies contin- ued efforts to restore electricity to affected homes.
FIREFIGHTERS battle a house fire in Glasgow amid the frigid, icy conditions Monday afternoon. Although the occupants had evacuated before first responders arrived, two individuals were transported by EMS to be evaluated for smoke inhalation. The Red Cross was called in to help the displaced family. (photo courtesy of the Glasgow Volunteer Fire Department)
Although conditions since the initial wave of precipitation have been treacherous, there have been few emergency incidents. Nathan Ramsey, Rockbridge County fire/rescue chief, said that other than “a couple minor crashes the night of the storm,” and a house fire in Glasgow, “no major situations” have occurred.
The storm dropped around 5 inches of snow across the region Sunday evening before turning into more of a mix of freezing rain, sleet and rain and tapering off by morning. Another round of light snow fell late Monday afternoon - all of which have made for slick, icy conditions that will likely remain for the rest of this week as temperatures are expected to seldom climb above freezing.
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s update on Tuesday afternoon, crews have made significant progress clearing interstates and primary roads in the Shenandoah Valley, aided by sunshine, salt, and ongoing snowplow efforts. However, they cautioned that snow and ice remain a persistent issue on many secondary and residential roads.
The update emphasized that while major routes are now largely passable, nonessential travel should still be avoided, especially on secondary roads where work is ongoing. With bitterly cold temperatures expected the rest of the week, VDOT warned of widespread refreezing on previously plowed and treated surfaces, creating the potential for hazardous black ice.
The storm has caused widespread closures and disruptions. On Monday, government offices in Rockbridge County, Lexington, and Buena Vista were closed entirely, and they reopened on a delayed schedule Tuesday. All three area school divisions were closed on Monday and Tuesday, including a canceled teacher workday in Buena Vista Monday. Additionally, the Lexington Farmers Market has been called off for today, Wednesday. Other services, including the Rockbridge Area Health Center, were also closed Monday.
Power outages have added to the storm’s toll. By Monday morning, more than 1,300 residents in Rockbridge County — primarily customers of BARC Electric Cooperative — were without electricity. By yesterday, however, there were no reported outages in the area.
In addition to the expected challenges brought by the winter storm, emergency crews in Rockbridge County responded to a house fire in Glasgow early Monday afternoon.
According to Glasgow Volunteer Fire Department Chief John Hill, Glasgow Fire Company 2 was dispatched to the 1000 block of Virginia Street, where firefighters found a single-story wood-frame home heavily engulfed in flames. While firefighters were able to quickly knock down the fire on the lower level, dense smoke, poor visibility, and cluttered conditions inside the home delayed access to the attic, allowing the blaze to intensify in the upper level, he said. Crews worked both inside and outside the structure to bring the fire under control.
Fortunately, all occupants had evacuated the home before responders arrived, though two individuals were transported from the scene by EMS, to be evaluated for smoke inhalation.
Ramsey told The News-Gazette that the cause of the fire was determined to be an overloaded power strip. The Red Cross was alerted to assist with sheltering the displaced family.
Besides the Glasgow Volunteer Fire Department, units responding to the fire included the Buena Vista, Natural Bridge, Lexington and Buchanan fire departments, as well as Rockbridge County Fire & Rescue, Glasgow Life Saving & First Aid Crew, and the Buena Vista Rescue Squad.
Forecasts are calling for another winter storm, including snow, potentially arriving Friday or Saturday.
Although the Rockbridge area received a widespread snow of approximately 3-4 inches last January, this week’s winter event was the most disruptive since Winter Storm Izzy dropped up to a foot of snow in 2022.
AS THE SUN came out Tuesday morning, area residents were able to enjoy the beauty produced by this week’s snow and ice storm. (Mary Woodson photo)
ON THE MORNING after the snow storm, Kevin Staton works to clear the sidewalk in front of downtown Lexington’s Dutch Inn building. (Scotty Dransfield photo)
WHILE THE PRIMARY roads were largely clear by Monday morning, including U.S. 11 south of Fairfield (at left), there were still patches of snow and ice to be found Tuesday morning on some secondary roads, including Heavener Drive (above) at its intersection with Old Buena Vista Road. (Darryl Woodson and Stephanie Mikels Blevins photos)
AMONG THE PHOTOS posted on The News-Gazette’s Facebook page this week was this one of Hays Creek in Raphine by Paige Deacon. Be sure to check out the Facebook page for lots of other snow photos.
