Sorry for the Fox link. These poor souls have been stuck on 95 for 15+ hours and last night temperatures dipped into the teens. There really is no excuse for this, it looks like nothing was done to put down salt or move snow. We didn't get that much snow, even here in the mountains, so I would guess that's the cause. They're saying up to a foot of snow but the only headline I saw said 5-8 inches. I used to drive up and down 95 all winter from Northern Virginia to Richmond and the only time I saw anything like this was a February snowfall when the state claimed they had run out of road chemicals. And it wasn't this bad.
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As someone who lived in Virginia for awhile, I can attest that their only means of snow removal is the sun. Although I jest when I say this, it's not far from the truth. My first winter there, I was at work when it started to barely spit snow. My co-worker remarked that she'd probably have to take a half-day off because they'd be closing the schools and she'd have to go home to meet her kid. I laughed because I thought she was making a joke. She was serious...and they did close the schools.
You don't even want to be there when they get a dusting of snow. I had a 45 minute commute to work and you would not believe the number of accidents and cars that had slid off the road. They have absolutely no clue how to drive in snow -- of any amount.
That's not true for most of the state. The state normally has piles of chemicals and they own snow plows, state and locally, or contract every year to get roads plowed. This was the first snow of the year so this has to have been purposeful negligence or sheer stupidity. Interstates like 81 and 95 usually get priority.
I lived in Richmond years ago and what you said was true there - light dusting and the city came to a screeching halt. No radial tires then and I think we were the only people who owned snow tires, no snow plows and they had to wait and rent or borrow the county's plows. But that was 40-some years ago.
The county schools all have kids who ride the bus and live in areas that are difficult to reach on country roads when there's snow on the ground. State funding based on attendance is a factor too. That's one reason why you'll see schools close after lunch. They get their money for that day.
14 years in the same place, four wheel drive 👍
Same thing in Atlanta, 1/2" of snow and they're done dealing.