NORFOLK, Va. — Crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation say with temperatures expected to drop again Sunday night into Monday, this means more snow that melted throughout the day could refreeze, creating some slick conditions.
Abbey Fariscal drove to get gas in Norfolk. A Michigan native, she says she's used to this type of weather, but even she says the roads became slick overnight as the temperatures dropped below freezing.
"This is a warm winter for me," Fariscal said with a laugh. "But it's pretty cold, so I'm not used to it like this out here. I thought the roads were fine today. It's just kind of cold. Last night, they were kind of bad. I did slip a lot when I was walking to my car."
While drivers like Fariscal hit the road for things like grocery items or gas, VDOT crews are still spreading salt and sand to help get rid of the ice on the main roadways.
Lindsay Denietolis with the Virginia Department of Transportation says these back-to-back winter storms and freezing temperatures created a challenge for many, but she says crews still stayed out throughout Saturday night to help tackle the problem.
"With those freezing temperatures, we had high winds that continue to blow and drift snow throughout the night until around daybreak, which caused primary roads, including Route 13 to be a real hazard to travel," Denietolis said.
She says the Eastern Shore experienced more snow than other areas, and when the wind brought more snow into the roads, it created an even bigger challenge.
With colder temperatures expected to settle in again overnight into Monday morning, Denietolis says icy road conditions are very likely, and they will continue the 12-hour shifts until all the roads are clear.
"If Mother Nature could not send any more snow, that would be wonderful," Denietolis said. "But our crews are well prepared with materials to make sure that travel is safe and motorists can go from point A to point B. We are just so happy the people headed our warnings and really stayed off the roads. It helped a lot!"
Denietolis says if you see a roadway that appears wet, always assume it's black ice and not just water. That way, you can most likely avoid any slippery conditions.