By HEATHER MICHON
EDITOR
From the start, the Jan. 24–25 winter storm looked bad–although exactly how bad remained a moving target for days.
Two feet of snow, some forecasts warned. Maybe only a foot. Maybe half a foot, but with more ice.
By Saturday evening, the consensus forecast called for up to 8 inches of snow and sleet, with up to a half-inch of ice. Power outages were considered likely.
Fortunately, the worst predictions did not materialize. Most areas saw 6 to 8 inches of snow and sleet, with only a thin veneer of ice. The power grid largely held, keeping heat on for most households as bitterly cold temperatures settled in for an extended stay.
But the storm was not finished with Fluvanna County.
As the sun emerged and began melting the snow’s surface, temperatures remained well below freezing, instantly turning meltwater back into ice.
The repeated thaw-and-freeze cycle compressed the snow into a dense, frozen mass that the Virginia Department of Transportation dubbed “snowcrete.”
Efforts to clear roads and resume normal life soon ran aground against this wall of ice. While main roads were cleared within a day or two after the storm, secondary roads proved far more challenging.
This was especially true at Lake Monticello, where heavy-duty pickup trucks equipped with plow rigs were unable to break through the thick ice or clear the compacted snow from the roads.
Late in the week, the homeowners’ association brought in heavy farm equipment to finally break up the ice.
But many residents remained stuck with ice-covered driveways that could not be shoveled clear. Calls for assistance circulated widely on social media, as residents sought help from neighbors and contractors. The cost of clearing a frozen driveway reportedly reached $250 or more.
As in any winter weather event, there was some fun to be had. Children had a rare chance to pull out sleds, test their strength against heavy blocks of ice, and even skate or slide across the glassy surface of frozen snow. For some households, it was a good week for binge-watching and catching up on reading.
For others, the lingering ice posed more than an inconvenience, limiting access to medical appointments or preventing them from reaching jobs they rely on for a paycheck.
Responses to the cleanup efforts were mixed. Many residents praised the plowing crews working under unprecedented conditions, while others expressed frustration that schools remained closed and that travel was still difficult in some places.
Almost ten days post-storm, most residents were once again able to travel freely, and slightly warmer temperatures were expected to break up the remaining snow and ice.
Is this the last of the winter storms? That remains to be seen. On Monday, Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil — the famously unreliable meteorological groundhog — saw his shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter.
