Expect Snowy Start to Weekend, Clearing Skies for New Years Celebrations

1:20 p.m.

Roadway crews are getting ready for the winter weather. Transportation crews in the Fredericksburg and Stafford areas tell us how they’re preparing.

More in a press release from the Virginia Department of Transportation:

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews in the Fredericksburg area will report to duty at midnight Saturday in advance of forecasted snow.

VDOT crews and hired personnel will target Interstate 95 and areas west of Route 301 in Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties.

The Fredericksburg area is expected to receive snow beginning around 4 a.m. through mid-morning.

Approximately a half-inch of snow is expected to accumulate on grassy areas by the end of the event.

Motorists are likely to encounter wet pavement on roadways Saturday, and are urged to proceed with caution. Stay alert for slick or icy road conditions, especially on bridges, ramps and overpasses, which can freeze first.

Rain is expected on the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. As a precaution, equipment has been prepared in these areas, and staff can be deployed as needed to treat roads or remove snow.

VDOT will monitor the weather on Friday and Saturday, and will adjust staffing and equipment levels in response to conditions.

8 a.m. 

Snow should begin falling in our area sometime after 4 a.m. Saturday as another bout of winter weather moves into the region.

Expect mostly snow for the area until 4 p.m. Saturday and then the precipitation type will changeover to rain. Less than one inch of accumulation is expected for the area, according to the National Weather Service.

Neighborhoods further north and west will see more snow while areas to the south and in southern Maryland will see mostly rain.

This is all part of another large winter weather storm that is pushing its way east. It comes on the heels of another storm that brought sleet and snow to the area on Wednesday. That same weather system was blamed for tornadoes that broke out on Christmas Day in Alabama.

After this next round of snow moves out, the forecast for New Year’s Eve celebrations looks calm and cool with high temperatures in the high 30s and with a low about 29 degrees. Expect rain on New Year’s Day, according to the weather service.