Southside: Snow flies, ice forms

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - Rain drenched the region to start Saturday, but by early afternoon, drops of water turned to fluffy flakes of snow.  When it was all over, though, it was falling temperatures and ice that caused most headaches.

At the oceanfront, snow piled up quickly in the afternoon on wet sand, while wind churned up white water and pushed waves far up the beach. Still, Frank Elswick said he'd take this weather over what his wife is dealing with up north.

"I came down last night," said Elswick. "It just started snowing in Delaware. I called my wife this morning. There's about two feet of snow at the house."

Before nightfall, snow covered any spots of grass around Greenbrier Mall but didn't stick to the pavement, leaving the roads slippery but not frozen.

"Roads are fine. Not a problem," commented Sam Jordan, early in the afternoon. "Everything is just wet like it's raining."

And in downtown Norfolk, a thin layer of snow stuck to cars along Granby Street but not to the street itself, leaving roads across the region in better condition during the second straight weekend of winter weather.

It was much the same story in Portsmouth and Suffolk, where snow stuck to tress, bushes, and grassy areas, but roads remained generally clear - though wet.

One Suffolk resident found a silver lining in Saturday's clouds, telling 10 On Your Side, "I love it, slows things down. Some times we are in hurry and we need to slow down."

Once the snow stopped and darkness fell, falling temperatures turned wet roadways into slick roadways.

By 7:30 p.m., VDOT had already closed Interstate ramps at Battlefield Boulevard in Chesapeake and City Hall Avenue in Norfolk.  Following treatment, the Battlefield ramps were opened about an hour later, but the City Hall ramp was closed well into Saturday night.

VDOT officials urged motorists to avoid all non-critical travel until well into Sunday.

"Motorists really need to pay attention to slick conditions, especially on bridges, ramps and overpasses," said Lauren Hansen of VDOT.  "With these kinds of conditions, it's better to be safe than sorry. Delay your travels, postpone your plans, and stay home tonight if you can."

Although temperatures on Sunday will remain below freezing, sunny skies should help to slightly improve local road conditions Sunday afternoon.