McAuliffe tells Virginians to 'take necessary precautions now'

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon ahead of a predicted snowstorm that could bring a foot of snow to the Virginia Beach area.

"The bitter cold that continues to plague the Commonwealth will be joined by a potentially significant winter storm which will blast Hampton Roads, the Northern Neck, Eastern Shore and other areas of Eastern Virginia with snowfall and blizzard-like conditions in some communities." said McAuliffe. "With this forecast in mind, all Virginians should take the necessary precautions now to ensure they are prepared for the travel disruptions, power outages and other threats to health and safety that could arise during this significant weather event."

The state of emergency allows the Virginia National Guard to bring up to 150 additional personnel on state active duty and 30 vehicles for possible assistance with the state's severe winter weather response operations.

• First Alert Weather Day: Snow, cold on the way
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The Virginia Department of Transportation crews are pretreating roads throughout the eastern half of the state. More than 1,500 crew members and 1,400 pieces of equipment are being used.

"Driving conditions during the storm are expected to be hazardous and motorists are urged to stay off the roads until the storm passes," said Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne.

For updated road conditions, visit www.511virginia.org.

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