A winter storm is approaching central Virginia this weekend.
Some call it Blair, and it is expected to bring more snow to the area than the last couple of years combined and the coldest temperatures since December 2022, said Travis Kosko, chief meteorologist at CBS19 News.
Blair is an Arctic outbreak caused by the polar vortex, a swirling wind system that traps cold air over the Arctic and can push it southward when disrupted. The current Arctic blast is forecasted to impact parts of the U.S. with freezing temperatures, snow, and ice.
In central Virginia, the snowfall will likely begin Sunday and turn to a freezing rain overnight that could cover the roads with ice in time for the Monday morning commute, said Anna Stuck, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Monday could see more snowfall, and that could linger for several days as temperatures plummet.
The coldest days are forecast to be Wednesday and possibly Thursday, when temperatures could drop to single digits, Kosko said. Highs on those days are expected to range from the upper 20s to the lower 30s.
The cold snap — and with it, likely snow — could persist for 8 to 14 days.
So far, no local central Virginia governments have announced plans to open warming centers, though that has happened during previous arctic blasts.
“We just stay connected and monitor the storm and then adjust as necessary,” said Abbey Stumpf, a spokesperson for Albemarle County. “Like so many other jurisdictions, we just have plans at the ready.”
Dominion Energy, the local power provider, is also preparing for the storm, with 100 crews on standby to restore power outages in the region, said Craig Carper, a spokesperson for Dominion.
The snow forecast for central Virginia will likely be wetter than the snowfall further north, Carper said. And wetter, heavier snow typically means more outages.
“We always prepare for the worst,” he said.
Dominion customers can help repair crews by reporting outages either online or on the company’s mobile app,particularly if customers can provide information about downed lines or trees blocking roadways.
“We have about a 99% accuracy rate with what we’re getting back from the meters,” Carper said. “But if people can provide information about any unusual conditions — if there is a tree blocking the road, for example — that would be very helpful.”
Though repair crews are ready, Carper recommends folks prepare their homes for extended power outages. That means fully charging all electronic devices, particularly medical devices, and having sufficient food and water for a few days.
Here’s some information from the National Weather Service on how to prepare for winter storms.
And here’s information from Albemarle County on now to prepare for local conditions.
For folks who are unhoused, there are a few shelter options in Charlottesville. Here’s a list compiled by the city with how to reach each provider.
Charlottesville Tomorrow was unable to reach People And Congregations Engaged in Ministry (PACEM), which operates a seasonal shelter, nor The Salvation Army, which operates an overnight shelter, to find out how the groups are preparing.
An employee from The Haven, a day shelter in Charlottesville that is not open overnight, said the organization was preparing for the cold days, but would not provide any further details. The group would release information at a later time, they said.
