Storm yields ‘unusual’ snowfall
Published 4:33 pm Tuesday, December 11, 2018
With reports of up to a foot of snow, possibly more, around the region, Winter Storm Diego left quite a mark in the Heart of Virginia.
It began snowing early Sunday morning. Though some periods of snowfall were heavier than others, snow continued to fall into Sunday evening, stopping by Monday morning.
To view more photos of the storm, click here.
WFLO reported a total snowfall of approximately 10 inches as of 7 a.m. Monday.
Ryan Rogers, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wakefield, said Monday afternoon that Farmville reportedly received between 10-12 inches of snow Sunday.
Rogers said an emergency manager in the northeast end of Elam in Prince Edward reported approximately 11 inches of snowfall.
“There certainly will be some variation,” Rogers said.
Rogers said there was not a lot of snow drift, meaning that dramatic shifts in snow measurements in areas close together were not likely.
He cited that the storm, with the high volumes of snowfall in the area, was “pretty unusual.”
Residents submitted photos to Farmville Newsmedia, LLC showing snow measurements anywhere from 10 inches in Rice to 16 inches in Lunenburg County.
Power outages took place in the area beginning Sunday with the majority seeing restorations by the end of the day Monday.
Southside Electric Cooperative (SEC) said at the height of Sunday’s storm, approximately 10,000 customers were without power. As of Monday at 12:45 p.m., approximately 5,500 members remain without power.
“Diego brought heavy snow across all of SEC’s territory, impacting trees and power lines with falling and leaning trees breaking equipment and infrastructure,” officials from SEC cited in a news release. “Because of this damage, members are encouraged to plan for possible extended outages.”
Lee Electrical Construction, as well as crews from neighboring cooperatives, Choptank Electric Cooperative and Northern Neck Electric Cooperative were assisting with restoration efforts in the area. Crews from Rappahannock Electric Cooperative were expected to come within the next 24 hours, according to the Monday release.
At 6 a.m. Sunday, Dominion Energy in Virginia officials said more than 100,000 customers experienced a power interruption as a result of the storm. They said approximately 33,000 customers were without service as of Monday morning.
“While damage assessment is just beginning, many outages have been the result of tree contact resulting in blown fuses, wire down and some broken crossarms,” Dominion officials cited. “Travel in the impacted areas will be hampered by deep snow and hazardous travel conditions. Initial damage assessment and patrols will be key this morning to verify damage and develop estimated times of restoration for all impacted customers.”