Governor Northam declares State of Emergency: Incoming winter storm expected to bring snow to much of Virginia

On January 14, 2022, Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in preparation for a winter storm expected to move into Virginia over the weekend.

The National Weather Service forecast predicts significant snow, sleet, and ice late Saturday night through Monday, impacting a majority of the Commonwealth. Some areas in Southwest Virginia are predicted to get up to a foot of snow.

“We expect this storm to have a significant impact in many parts of Virginia,” Governor Northam said. “Declaring a state of emergency now allows our emergency responders to prepare, and to move supplies and equipment where they expect to need them the most. This also gives Governor-elect Youngkin the ability to respond to any storm needs swiftly. I urge Virginians to take this storm seriously and make preparations now.”

Governor Northam and state emergency officials conducted a joint preparation call with Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin and his team.

The Virginia Emergency Operations Center has been actively monitoring the movement of a major winter weather system heading toward Virginia, with anticipated tracks showing impacts beginning Saturday evening. The National Weather Service is still refining its forecasts based on real-time data, but initial forecasts are predicting impactful to highly impactful snow, sleet, ice, and freezing rain across broad swaths of the Commonwealth.

Parts of Virginia are still dealing with the consequences of last week’s back-to-back events, including power restoration and significant debris removal. This upcoming weather system is likely to include additional downed trees, more electrical outages, and significant impacts on travel conditions.

Virginians are urged to follow local news for up-to-date forecasts, and to avoid traveling in dangerous weather.