Snow means a day off for many, but not the folks who drive the plows. It has been slow year for both the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and private contractors, but that is changing Sunday night.
The morning was the waiting game, but by Sunday afternoon, things started looking up. When part of your livelihood depends on bad weather, a mild winter can make or break you.
Preparations for Sunday's snow started Thursday when the weather was still warm. VDOT crews put down a brine solution to keep the roads from freezing up.
VDOT public affairs specialist Stacy Londrey said, "It's always good for us to know that we are keeping things as safe as possible, to have those preparations in place and then of course to send everyone home when we can."
Even though time, money and materials have been put in place in expectation of a large snow fall, all is not lost if only a small amount sticks.
"These preparations certainly have an expense tied to them both in personnel and the fuel and other materials that we use, but we do preparations for motorist safety, so it's not money lost in the sense that we are making sure everyone is safe," said Londrey.
But it's the small business owners who are most susceptible to Mother Nature's frustrations.
Cavalier Container owner Ken Bahr explained, "By not having snow we get all the expense and none of the fun from pushing the snow and none of the income."
Bahr says he wasn't expecting any more snow this year. "I parked it and I really didn't think I would need it until next year," he said.
For Bahr, a day with no snow "puts a damper" on the cash flow. So in the mean time he said, "I take a truck home with me and sit by the fire and wait, and try to rest up and then take it moment and moment as the storm comes."
The NBC29 newsroom received the following release from VDOT regarding snowfall in the Staunton region.
Snow has started to fall in the southern Shenandoah Valley including the counties of Rockbridge, Alleghany, Bath, Highland and Augusta. Road are mostly in minor conditions. Moderate conditions are possible in areas of higher elevation.
Road surface temperatures remain above freezing, so snow is tending to melt on the roads. In non-treated areas slush is possible. Motorists should drive with extreme caution in these areas.
Icing conditions on roads could occur tonight if surface temperatures dip below freezing. Virginia Department of Transportation crews are out this afternoon and will remain out all night to treat and plow roads as necessary.
For winter weather road conditions go the www.511Virginia.org, look to the left side of the page and click on the "Road Conditions" bar. A map will appear with color coded roads. Right above the map is a link reading: "Click here for a list of road conditions, including secondary roads". Click on this link, then in the drop-down box click on the desired county or Virginia statewide. A text box of road conditions will appear.
Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at www.511Virginia.org. For other assistance call the VDOT Customer Service Center, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week. Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia's roads.
VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and You Tube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT webpage is located at www.VirginiaDOT.org.
The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.
