The Heart of Virginia could see up to 22 inches of heavy, wet snow — complemented with wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour — on Friday and Saturday.

Winter Storm Jonas is set to arrive early Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), and could last into Saturday.

Winter storm watches and warnings have been issued for parts the region, according to the agency.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency Thursday morning.

“If the amount and type of snow are accurate, along with wind gusts forecast, we could see widespread power outages,” said Kevin Flippen, emergency management coordinator for Buckingham County.

“As of now, [the] National Weather Service … is calling for 11-22 inches of wet, heavy snow for us with wind gusts of 25-30 miles-per-hour Friday night into Saturday night,” Flippen said.

“People should start preparing now for this possibility by having water, food they can prepare without electricity, and alternate sources of heat or have family/friends lined up to stay with if necessary,” he said.

“Water and blankets would be a good addition to have in your car for winter travel. Please limit travel … during this event to keep roads open for VDOT crews as well law enforcement and fire/EMS crews.”

He urged residents to stay tuned to local news and weather forecasts for more information as it becomes available.

Schools in Buckingham,

Cumberland and Prince Edward closed Thursday following a dusting of snow Wednesday night. School superintendents in Buckingham and Cumberland said they make a decision on closing schools Friday before Thursday night.

According to a Dominion Weather Center forecast distributed to local officials, the most significant threat to the utility will be Saturday, with heavy snow and gusty winds predicted.

“We’re up some already today,” said Johnny Arthur, store manager at Reid’s Super Save in Dillwyn. “I guess everybody’s scared [they’re] going to get dumped on.”

He said bread and milk had been selling fast on Wednesday

“[Thursday’s] going to be the day. It’s picked up today already. They’re just constantly coming in.”

Ernest Marion, owner of Marion’s Bi-Rite in Cumberland, said he expects foot traffic to pick up Thursday.

“They’ll just stock up, because they can’t get out,” he said. “A lot of them will fix them a big pot of soup so they can have it, if the current goes off, they can put it on top of the wood stove or whatever. Improvise a little bit.”

The Food Lion in Farmville has also seen more people coming in.

“We’ve seen an increase in the amount of customers that have been coming to our store, mainly because, we think, the impending storm that’s coming up,” said Food Lion spokesman Benny Smith. “People are purchasing things like … bottled water, soups, bread and milk and those types of items.”

The expectation of nearly two feet of snow reminds longtime Farmville resident and businessman Hunter Watson of “The Great Snow” in 1940, the year he was born.

Though he doesn’t remember the snow, he heard about it a lot growing up.

“It was Jan. 23, 1940,” he said. “It was, I think 24 inches, I believe is what they officially recorded in Farmville.”

“I just heard about it,” Watson said. “And, all through my childhood and into adulthood, people talked about ‘The Great Snow.’”

He said the people in Darlington Heights, where he grew up, claimed that it snowed 30 inches.

“Virginians are encouraged to plan ahead, be prepared and avoid unnecessary travel,” said Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller. “Virginia State Police will have all available troopers and supervisors working in advance of and the duration of the storms as they make their way across and into the commonwealth. To prevent unnecessary traffic crashes and delays from occurring on Virginia’s highways during the storms, state police advises residents to postpone travel plans and avoid driving, when possible.”

“These storm systems have the potential to significantly impact the safety of motorists on our highways,” said Col. W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police superintendent. “We encourage drivers who encounter adverse travel conditions to be prepared, be alert, remain patient, and to always drive to save lives.”