Snowstorm bears down on Virginia, will hit Petersburg, Tri-Cities hardest late Friday

PETERSBURG – Winter is coming. Again. 

A massive winter storm encompassing a large swath of the central and southern U.S. should be arriving here sometime after 7 p.m. Friday. Precipitation is expected to be light but steady until around 11 p.m. That is when the snowfall will pick up, and we will see most of the anticipated 4-6 inches that the National Weather Service office in Wakefield expects for us. 

Snow will start to taper off after dawn Saturday and should be out of here completely by Saturday afternoon. 

NWS said snow began falling around 5 p.m. in far southwestern Virginia. 

Getting ready 

Around the area, state and local officials prepped for the storm’s arrival. In Petersburg, a city statement said the main roads through town were treated in advance Friday. Petersburg’s first-responders and public-works department will be on duty all through the storm to keep the scene as safe as possible. 

The city also issued the typical advisory for citizens to stay off the roads as much as possible, and travel only if necessary. 

“With less traffic, road crews can better cover the streets,” the statement read. “Residents are also asked to use off-street parking when available.” 

Central, southern Virginia expected to feel brunt 

Unlike last weekend’s storm that dumped as much as a foot of snow on northern Virginia, this weekend’s storm appears to be targeting central and southern Virginia. 

The dividing line between 3-4 inches of snow and 4-6 inches of snow is between Richmond and Petersburg, maps from NWS indicate. The further north you go, the less accumulation you can expect. 

Snow bands stretch from Louisa County to the Virginia-North Carolina line. The largest of those bands extends from Farmville through Petersburg and on up to Accomac on the Eastern Shore. 

Projected totals fall off a bit as you move toward Tidewater and down into North Carolina. 

If you must drive, the Virginia Department of Transportation recommends checking 511Virginia first, either online or through the app. 

This is a developing story.