Postpone Travel – Shenandoah Valley Roads Will Get Worse Before They Get Better

STAUNTON – (11 a.m.) Snow has overspread the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands, creating hazardous driving on many roadways. Conditions will change rapidly Tuesday afternoon as snowfall is expected to intensify, and be followed by freezing rain in some areas. Do not travel except for emergencies.

The Virginia Department of Transportation has trucks plowing and treating roads throughout the 11-county Staunton District. Their efforts are more efficient and safer when there are fewer vehicles on the roadways. VDOT’s winter operations will continue until all roads are passable.

Here are the road conditions as of 11 a.m. Tuesday in the VDOT Staunton District:

Interstate 64 – Moderate conditions in Alleghany and Rockbridge counties. Minor conditions in Augusta County.

Interstate 66 – Clear conditions in Warren County.

Interstate 81 – Moderate conditions in Rockbridge County. Minor conditions in Augusta County. Clear conditions in Rockingham, Shenandoah and Frederick counties.

Primary roads – Moderate conditions in Alleghany, Bath and Rockbridge counties. Minor conditions in Highland, Augusta and Rockingham counties. Clear conditions in Page, Shenandoah, Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties.

Secondary roads – Moderate conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge and Augusta counties. Minor conditions in Highland and Rockingham counties. Clear conditions in Page, Shenandoah, Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties.

Weather and road conditions will vary significantly around the state. If travel is essential, check local weather sources and road conditions at 511Virginia for your entire route before leaving.

The updated URL and website for 511Virginia is https://511.vdot.virginia.gov/. Apps are also available for Android and iOS devices. 511 has traffic cameras, current crash locations, weather conditions and more. The public can sign-up for 511 alerts to be sent to their personal device. Roads with snow and ice conditions are marked minor, moderate, severe or closed.

Road condition definitions:

• Closed – Road is closed to all traffic.
• Severe – drifting or partially blocked road.
• Moderate – snow or ice on major portions of the roadway. 
• Minor – bare pavement except for isolated spots of snow, ice or slush.  Driving with caution is recommended.

VDOT is responsible for snow removal on all state-maintained roads as follows: 

• The Interstate Highway System and limited-access roadways are VDOT’s first priority.  
• Primary roads (routes numbered 1 to 599) and major secondary routes (numbered 600 and up) with vital emergency and public facilities, or those with high-traffic volumes, will be cleared along with interstate and limited-access roadways as resources allow.  
• Low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated after higher-priority routes are completed and additional resources are available. 

Another information source is the VDOT website: https://www.vdot.virginia.gov, which includes a dedicated weather travel page.

The VDOT Customer Service Center can be accessed through its mobile friendly website at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/. Agents are on site 24/7 every day of the year to assist the public. People can also call the VDOT Customer Service Center at 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623).

The Staunton District X (Twitter) feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. The VDOT Staunton District has a group page on Facebook. Follow VDOT statewide accounts on Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube. Links to all of VDOT’s statewide and district social-media channels are found here.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.

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