Gov. Abigail Spanberger has declared a state of emergency ahead of this weekend’s snowstorm, which is expected to bring power outages along with heavy accumulation throughout Virginia.
The newly inaugurated governor signed an executive order today declaring an emergency “due to severe winter weather,” with the most severe impacts expected Saturday and Sunday. The D.C. area is likely to get more than 5 inches of snow, with double-digit accumulation also possible, according to a Winter Storm Watch issued today.
“The mix of snowfall, the mix of freezing rain, sleet and very low temperatures will make this a difficult storm to respond to,” Spanberger said during a press conference this afternoon (Thursday).
Aisha Khan, media and community relations manager for Dominion Energy, said the power company is preparing for blackouts as a result of downed trees and power lines, which will be most severe where freezing rain and sleet have accumulated.
“We are preparing for significant and widespread power outages due to the anticipated heavy ice and snow across Virginia,” Khan said. “This could be a severe, multi-day restoration effort with severe cold weather following the storm.”
Hundreds of crews and support staff will be mobilized, Khan said, and Dominion is in the process of securing additional crews from contractors. She encouraged customers to report outages on the Dominion Energy app or the company’s website, or by calling 866-366-4357.
Meanwhile, the Virginia Department of Transportation had salt trucks out in Northern Virginia today, and these will continue through tomorrow, VDOT spokesperson Ellen Kamilakis told ARLnow.
“Based on the current forecast, we are anticipating being at our highest deployment level,” Kamilakis said. ” Residents should be prepared to stay off of the roads during and immediately after the storm. With the temperatures staying well below freezing, we are looking at widespread, significant icing.”
She anticipated that clearing operations will take “a couple days” during what she described as a “24/7, multi-day response.”
Spanberger added that VDOT “will have resources pre-positioned across the state so they can clear snow, address ice conditions, clear disabled vehicles and obstructed roadways.”
“I direct state and local governments to render appropriate assistance to prepare for this event, to alleviate any conditions resulting from the situation, and to implement recovery and mitigation operations and activities so as to return impacted areas to pre-event conditions as much as possible,” her emergency declaration states.
Arlington County began snow preparations yesterday. Residents are advised to spread salt or other de-icers “lightly and evenly” and to avoid driving if at all possible.
If residents absolutely must be on the road, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management advises carrying an emergency winter weather kit with items like blankets, drinking water, snacks, boots, a first-aid kit, a warm coat, rags and a basic set of tools.
“It’s impossible to predict how long you may be stuck in hazardous winter conditions if you end up stranded on the roadways,” the agency warned on social media.
❄🌬🌨️🚗🚙🛻STAY OFF THE ROADWAYS DURING THIS UPCOMING WINTER WEATHER EVENT🚚🚗🚐❄🌬🌨️ pic.twitter.com/Mp8n4LSVF2
— Virginia Department of Emergency Management (@VDEM) January 22, 2026
