VDOT News - Staunton

STAUNTON – (11 a.m.) Additional snow or sleet is expected in the Shenandoah Valley on Thursday afternoon before precipitation changes over to rain. The most significant travel impacts are expected in higher elevations and in the northern valley, where about an inch of snow has already fallen. The Virginia Department of Transportation advises against non-essential travel.

Slick driving conditions are expected to persist during the Thursday evening commute, as rain may freeze on contact. Bridges and overpasses freeze first, sometimes creating an icy glaze even when roadway approaches are just wet. Those who must drive should use extreme caution and always wear a seatbelt.

A second round of snowfall is forecast for Friday morning, followed by a flash freeze and an extended period of bitterly cold temperatures. Roadways that are still wet will glaze over and create dangerous driving conditions.

Here are the conditions in the VDOT Staunton District as of 11 a.m. Thursday:

Interstate 64 – Minor conditions in Augusta County. Clear conditions in Alleghany and Rockbridge counties.

Interstate 66 – Moderate conditions in Warren County.

Interstate 81 – Moderate conditions in Frederick County. Minor conditions in Augusta, Rockingham and Shenandoah counties. Clear conditions in Rockbridge County.

Primary roads – Moderate conditions in Shenandoah, Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties. Minor conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Augusta, Rockingham and Page counties. Clear conditions in Rockbridge County.

Secondary roads – Moderate conditions in Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah, Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties. Minor conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Highland and Augusta counties.

Statewide road conditions and traffic cameras are at http://www.511Virginia.org. For a detailed list of winter weather road conditions click “Text Views” on the orange bar atop the page. Then click on “Road Conditions Table” and use the pull-down box to select individual counties and cities. Roads with snow conditions will be marked minor, moderate, severe or closed.

On the go? Visit VDOT’s Free Virginia 511 Tools to get your 511 app for android or iOS. Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511.

The VDOT Customer Service Center can be accessed through its mobile friendly website at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/. Agents are on site 24/7 every day of the year to assist the public. People can also call the VDOT Customer Service Center at 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623).

The Staunton District Snow Page is on the VDOT website under Travel Center Snow Emergency Pages. The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton.

Follow VDOT on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at http://www.VirginiaDOT.org.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.

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Road condition definitions:
Closed – Road is closed to all traffic.
Severe – drifting or partially blocked road.
Moderate – snow or ice on major portions of the roadway.
Minor – bare pavement except for isolated spots of snow, ice or slush. Driving with caution is recommended.

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