Weather

Federal weather officials say Virginia’s deepening drought may linger well into spring, despite the recent blast of winter precipitation.

Staunton Public Works has rolled out additional crews to target specific neighborhoods for snow and ice removal and to commence widening operations citywide.

Despite the heavy sleet and frozen precipitation delivered by Winter Storm Fern, groundwater levels in the central Shenandoah Valley continue to decline.

Early assessments show the region’s agriculture sector suffered far more damage than was first believed.

Rockingham County has declared a local state of emergency due to the impact caused by recent snow and ice storms, effective last Sunday.

Several meetings have been canceled this week due to the snowstorm that occurred over the weekend.

Harrisonburg Public Works says trash will no longer be picked up on Monday, January 26 or Tuesday, January 27 due to the Rockingham County Landfill being closed. There will not be a rescheduled date and trash for those routes will continue next week.

The winter storm impacted the entire Commonwealth over the weekend which led to over 500 crashes.

VDOT provides updates of Shenandoah Valley roads as of 11 a.m.

Meteorologists caution that such extreme cold significantly increases the risk of frostbite and hypothermia, particularly for individuals without adequate protection.