VDOT News - Culpeper

CULPEPER —The Virginia Department of Transportation is making final preparations for a significant winter storm and urges residents to do the same. A mix of winter precipitation is forecast to begin early Wednesday morning, with conditions ranging from wet roads to as much as a quarter-inch of ice and four to six inches of snow, depending on location.

On Tuesday, crews in VDOT’s Culpeper District applied brine to Interstate 66 and I-64 and the region’s primary highways. VDOT crews completed preparations to their snow removal equipment and will mobilize early Wednesday morning.

VDOT is urging residents and travelers to pay close attention to weather forecasts and road condition reports since conditions may vary greatly within a relatively short distance. Higher snow accumulations are forecast near the Blue Ridge Mountains and to the west in the Shenandoah Valley. Along the U.S. 29 corridor and east freezing rain may predominate through the morning hours. 

VDOT urges the public to avoid travel during the storm since roads may be icy and extremely hazardous. If travel is essential, use VDOT’s free 511 tools to find out about road conditions along the route.

During the storm VDOT plows will spread a mix of sand and salt to improve traction and help melt the precipitation as it falls. Once snow accumulates to about two inches, the plows will begin pushing the slushy mix off the roadways.

VDOT crews will work around the clock to clear roads, beginning with interstates and primary highways, then shifting to secondary roads and neighborhoods once the main roads are passable. COVID-19 required VDOT to adopt additional Virginia Department of Health protocols during snow removal operations. These protocols are critical to the health and safety of our operators, but the time needed to meet them will likely result in delays in clearing some roads.

Additional information about winter-weather preparations and response can be found at www.virginiadot.org/travel/snow.asp and the district's snow emergency webpage. Local updates are posted to Twitter.com/VaDOTCulp. VDOT’s Culpeper District includes the counties of Albemarle, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock.

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