34 inches of snow reported in Shenandoah County

By Linda O'Dell Ash - nvdaily.com Digital Media Manager
lash@nvdaily.com

The winter weather warning has ended, and skies finally cleared before dusk on Saturday. Temperatures are expected to go down to around 10 overnight, and then rise to a high of 30 on a sunny Super Bowl Sunday.

If you have storm-related news or photos, contact us at info@nvdaily.com.

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5:47 p.m. Saturday
Here's the latest Shenandoah County Emergency Operations Center update:

• Snowfall accumulation across the County is reported as 30" to 34".


• Power being restored by utilities at a faster rate than anticipated, there are still 1,996 customers still without power.


• Many secondary roads are still snow covered and have fallen trees blocking them.


• The American Red Cross shelter at Peter Muhlenberg Middle School is still open. A decision will be made at 0500 Feb 7 whether to remain open.

5:40 p.m. Saturday
The latest snowfall totals (unofficial) from National Weather Service observers:

• 1 mile southwest of Front Royal: 26 inches at 2:38 p.m.


• 3 miles east of Woodstock: 26 inches at 1:28 p.m.


• 3 miles southeast of Toms Brook: 22 inches at 12:10 p.m.


• 1 mile north of Wilde Acres in Frederick County: 31 inches at 5:30 p.m.


• 2 miles east of Stephens City: 27 inches at 4:47 p.m.


• 2 miles south of Winchester: 24 inches at 5 p.m.

3:31 p.m. Saturday
The following is from a Shenandoah County Emergency Operations Center press release:

• Have received reports of snow accumulations (unofficial) of 24" to 30"
• The Emergency Operations Center remains busy with request related to blocked roads, no power and no heat.
• County has deployed a 4 person saw team to supplement VDOT's efforts with trees over roadways.
• There is an additional 8 person team due this evening from eastern Virginia to assist.
• Currently working with Shenandoah Memorial Hospital to get discharged patients home to free up bed space.
• The Shelter remains open at Peter Muhlenberg Middle School, Susan Ave, Woodstock.
• There continues to be a wide spread area throughout the County of power outages; ShenValley Electric making some progress to restore power to customers.
• Forecasting single digit and teen temperatures tonight causing concern for those without secondary heating.
• The Volunteer Fire and Rescue stations are requesting additional staffing from the County.
• VDOT doing a great job putting plows out in front of emergency vehicles when necessary.
• VDOT and Law Enforcement very successful and keeping traffic flowing on primary roads.

1:44 p.m. Saturday
There are 10,905 Allegheny Power customers without power in Virginia. In our area:

• Clarke County: 1,097 customers are without power
• Frederick: 6,319 customers are without power.
• Page County: 2,381 customers are without power
• Shenandoah County: 653 customers are without power
• Warren County: 2,975 customers customers are without power.

Dominion Power is reporting that 1,526 customers are without power in Shenandoah County.

Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative reports that 3,389 customers in Shenandoah County do not have power.

1:23 p.m. Saturday

Latest snow totals from weather observers, as reported by the National Weather Service:

• 1 mile south, southwest of Alexandria: 16.9 inches at 8 a.m.
• Harrisonburg: 15.5 inches at 11 a.m.
• Berryville: 28 inches at 10:30 a.m.
• 2 miles southeast of Chantilly: 24 inches at 12:12 p.m.
• 3 miles east of Winchester: 20 inches at 10:36 a.m.
• 2 miles east of Stephens City: 25 inches at 11 a.m.
• 3 miles south, south east of Toms Brook: 22 inches at 12:10 p.m.
• Linden: 27.5 inches at 9:45 a.m.

1:07 p.m. Saturday
New reader photos have just been posted. Share your photos and tell us your storm stories!

It is still snowing, and the Virginia Department of Transportation continues to warn residents to stay home and staff off of the roads. A Frederick County dispatcher on the police scanner a few minutes ago sounded weary as she reported yet another vehicle stuck in the snow.

VDOT reports that a disabled vehicle and a backup of tractor trailers have closed both Interstate 81 northbound lanes arom mile marker 232 to 235 in northern Augusta County near the Rockingham County line.

Road conditions:

• Interstate 66 - Significant accumulations of snow or ice blocking the road, conditions are hazardous in Warren County.
• Interstate 64 - Snow or ice covering a major portion of the roadway, passable with caution, in Alleghany, Rockbridge and Augusta counties, including Afton Mountain.
• Interstate 81 - Significant accumulations of snow or ice blocking the road, conditions are hazardous in Rockingham, Shenandoah and Frederick counties. Snow or ice covering a major portion of the roadway, passable with caution in Rockbridge and Augusta counties.
• Primary roads: Significant accumulations of snow or ice blocking the road, conditions are hazardous in Shenandoah, Frederick, Warren, Page and Clarke counties. Snow or ice covering a major portion of the roadway, passable with caution are in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Augusta, Highland and Rockingham counties.
• Secondary roads: Significant accumulations of snow or ice blocking the road, conditions are hazardous in Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Warren, Page and Clarke counties. Snow or ice covering a major portion of the roadway, passable with caution are in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge and Highland counties.

9:47 a.m. Saturday

The following information was provided by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management:

The Virginia State Police report they have responded to 1,127 traffic accidents and 1,013 disabled vehicles since Friday. They also have received 2,759 calls for service and 2,278 calls for information.

Two men died Friday morning in Wythe County when a tractor trailer lost control on Interstate 81. The truck hit a vehicle and a person on the shoulder of the highway.

About 500 Virginia National Guardsmen are on duty throughout the state. They will be aiding local police and rescue workers.

Mass transit in Washington (Metrobus, DC Circulator) have suspended service today. Metrorail will only be operating underground today. Amtrak has canceled trains between Washington, Richmond and Newport News. Reagan, Dulles, Richmond, Lynchburg, Charloteesville-Albemarle and Roanoke airports are open, but delays are and some cancellations have been reported.

9:43 a.m. Saturday
Allegheny Power is reporting some power outages in the Northern Shenandoah Valley this morning:

• Clarke County: 2,291 customers
• Frederick County: 2,439 customers
• Shenandoah County: 396 customers
• Warren County: 2,700 customers

Dominion Virginia Power and electric power cooperatives across Virginia are reporting 185,000 power outages.

8:58 a.m. Saturday
The Shenandoah County Chapter of the American Red Cross has opened disaster shelters in Shenandoah and Page Counties, according to a press release issued by Shenandoah County public information officer Mary T. Price.

The Shenandoah County shelter is at Peter Muhlenberg Middle School, 1251 Susan Ave., Woodstock.

The Page County Shelter is at the Stanley Fire Department, 190 E. Main St., Stanley.

Anyone going to a shelter should bring clothes, medicines, personal hygiene items, a pillow and blanket, cell phone and charger.

Call the chapter office for more information: (540) 459-2913.

8:15 a.m. Saturday
The Virginia Department of Transportation reports that Love's Truck Stop at Interstate 81 exit 291 is full.

8:08 a.m. Saturday
There are about 6,500 customers without power in Shenandoah County this morning, according to a press release issued by Mary T. Price, public information officer for Shenandoah County.

Price reports that road conditions in the county are severe, with some roads closed and others blocked by fallen trees.

Fire and law enforcement calls were "relatively light" overnight, though the Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office assisted truckers parked on the shoulder of Interstate 81.

The Shenandoah County's Emergency Operations Center telephone number is 540-459-6167.

7 a.m. Saturday

Snow totals

The National Weather Service released these snow totals recorded by weather watchers at 7 a.m. today (unofficial totals):

• District of Columbia: 15 inches at 1:15 a.m.
• Berryville: 23 inches at 5:45 a.m.
• Stephens City: 20 inches at 4 a.m.
• Winchester: 19 inches at 4:38 a.m.
• Wilde Acres: 23 inches at 7 a.m.
• Front Royal: 16 inches at 6 a.m.
• Martinsburg, W.Va.: 22 inches at 6:54 a.m.

The Virginia Department of Transportation reminds residents to stay off the roads today to allow crews to treat and plow the roads. Driving is hazardous, with many roads covered with snow and ice.

VDOT reports that many truck stop lots were full Friday night, including the Wilco Hess Truck Stop at exit 291 on Interstate 291, The Pilot Truck Stop at exit 213 in Greenville, and the Flying J Truck Stop at exit 296 in Frederick County. The exit 323 ramp north of Wincheser is closed.

Road conditions:

Interstate 66 - Significant accumulations of snow or ice blocking the road, conditions are hazardous in Warren County.
 
Interstate 64 - Snow or ice covering a major portion of the roadway, passable with caution, in Alleghany, Rockbridge and Augusta counties, including Afton Mountain.
 
Interstate 81 - Significant accumulations of snow or ice blocking the road, conditions are hazardous in Rockingham, Shenandoah and Frederick counties. Snow or ice covering a major portion of the roadway, passable with caution in Rockbridge and Augusta counties.
 
Primary roads: Significant accumulations of snow or ice blocking the road, conditions are hazardous in Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick and Clarke counties. Snow or ice covering a major portion of the roadway, passable with caution are in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Augusta, Highland, Warren and Page counties.
 
Secondary roads: Significant accumulations of snow or ice blocking the road, conditions are hazardous in Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Warren, Page and Clarke counties. Snow or ice covering a major portion of the roadway, passable with caution are in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Augusta and Highland counties.

Cancellations

• The Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks game set for 7 tonight at the Verizon Center has been postponed.
• Wayside Theatre has canceled the Saturday matinee & evening, 2:30 & 7:30 p.m., performances of "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.
• The New Market United Methodist Men's Valentines Dinner and Auction has been postponed from Saturday February 6th until Saturday February 20th.

Reader Observations

The following is a "Dear John" letter written to Snow by an nvdaily.com reader:

Dear Snow,

We've had a long and outstanding relationship with one another. I have many fond memories of us spending time together. Many a night I have slept easy knowing you'd be there when I awoke the following morning. When school was canceled from weather, you were the first I'd want to be with, of course. I'd have a cup of hot coco as I wasted the day away day-dreaming of you. What we had, you and me, it was perfect.

But in recent years, I have noticed a change. Sometimes our relationship just wasn't that strong. I can't tell why, it just wasn't. Sometimes it even felt like you weren't there. Is it because I've grown older, so you think I'm too mature for you? I guess I'll never know.

The Christmas present you gave me this past year was wonderful. It was exactly what I asked for. I thought you had been ignoring me these past years but you weren't. You were saving it and I really do appreciate it.

But here is where things start getting problematic. You won't leave me alone now. It's like you keep giving me all these presents and enough is enough. After years of feeling neglected by you, you just can't come back into my life like a maelstrom and drive me mad by interfering with every aspect of my life. You keep me from work and it's like you are stalking me. This needs to stop. Seriously. Snow, I'm afraid I am dumping you. Now don't cry, please that will just exacerbate things. It's for the best, really it is.

I honestly think we should start seeing other people.

Love,
Alicia Guy