THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 9, 1996 TAG: 9601090235
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: THE BLIZZARD OF '96
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
With a final blast of snow to mark its departure, the Blizzard of '96 moved away from Virginia and North Carolina on Monday, having buried most of the state while sparing Hampton Roads the heaviest snows - if not the misery.
Forecasters are already warning, however, that a repeat may be in the offing for the weekend.
``There is the threat of additional heavy snowfall in the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic this weekend,'' said DeClann Cannon, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel in Atlanta.
And while it seemed doubtful Monday that Hampton Roads would see more than a chilly rain and some flurries this time, ``We'll have to watch and see exactly where this next one forms,'' Cannon said.
From 8 a.m. until well after dark, flurries fell throughout northeastern North Carolina on Monday. Some snow stuck to grassy areas, accumulating up to an inch. But most roads remained clear throughout the day. Bridges were the most dangerous places to travel, as they freeze more quickly than surrounding streets.
Interior Virginia, which is digging out from under what is the heaviest snowfall on record in many places, may well get dumped on again, Cannon warned.
Two feet of snow fell in many areas, with records for 24-hour snowfalls set in Roanoke, at 22.2 inches, and Lynchburg, at 20 inches.
In the Shenandoah Valley, up to 37 inches of snow fell and a freight train derailed while plowing through drifts near Blacksburg.
Virginia remained under a state of emergency Monday and 150 National Guardsmen using armored personnel carriers reached traffic accidents and the ill in remote areas.
Five deaths were linked to the storm, which also left nearly 20,000 utility customers in the dark.
Airports across the state were closed, bus lines did not operate and secondary roads were not plowed in most parts of state.
State climatologist Pat Michaels said he thinks data will show the storm to be as bad as, or worse than, the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962.
In Hampton Roads, forecasters had warned that the storm would dump up to a foot of snow. And it nearly did in some places, especially in western sections. But the rain that fell between the first round of snow and the last melted away much of the initial accumulation before the next few inches arrived.
``We've seen just about every type of precipitation out of this storm,'' said Tony Siebers, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Wakefield.
The changeover to rain on Sunday made for a slushy mess and wet roads. But getting around improved throughout the day - until the mercury plunged Sunday night.
Area police reported more than 200 accidents, including several multi-car wrecks. Only a few injuries were reported; none was serious.
Interstate 664 was closed for several hours until crews could attack ice with sand and chemicals.
Ice felled trees in the Williamsburg area. A Virginia Power spokesman said about 6,000 utility customers were left in the dark.
KEYWORDS: BLIZZARD WINTER STORM by CNB