Virginia 'Bomb Cyclone': Dangerous Winter Conditions Continue

ALEXANDRIA, VA—The winter storm forecasters called a "bomb cyclone" dumped snow across the Baltimore-Washington region and down the eastern part of Virginia overnight Thursday. The DC region continues to face harsh winter conditions as around the state are bracing for more snowfall. The most extreme conditions are happening in the Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore areas, which are under a blizzard warning until 1 p.m. with foot of snow expected.

Communities in the Northern Virginia received up to 1.5 inches inch of snow under the winter weather advisory extending from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 11 a.m. Thursday. Forecasters have issued a wind chill advisory until to noon Friday as chilly temperatures and gusty winds remain a concern throughout the day and into Friday morning. Northwest winds will average between 20 and 30 mph with gusts around 40 mph through this evening.

A wind chill advisory means that cold air and the wind will combine to create low wind chills. Frost bite and hypothermia can occur without precautions taken to bundle up. The cold wind chills can cause frostbite in as little as a half hour. (Sign up for Patch emails for more weather alerts; find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

As the storm made its way toward Virginia, forecasters increased snowfall totals along and west of Interstate 95, which extended the winter storm warning to the Richmond area. Meanwhile the Hampton Roads has winds gusting as high as 50 mph to cause whiteout conditions in blowing snow. An additional two to four inches has been added to projected snowfall for Hampton Roads region and three to six inches for the Eastern Shore Thursday morning.

Forecasters say travel is "very dangerous to impossible" in the blizzard warning area as downed trees and power lines may occur. VDOT continues to plow through Southside Virginia, Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore, Tidewater, Middle Peninsula, Northern Neck and Metro-Richmond. Drivers can obtain the latest road conditions by calling 511.

Virginia State Police urge residents to stay off the roads as conditions deteriorate from the storm. As of 5 p.m., Virginia State Police responded to 356 traffic crashes and 409 disabled vehicles. Commuters should drive slower on snow-covered roads with limited visibility and be sure to use headlights and clear all snow and ice off their cars before driving.

Here's a look at some of the conditions around the state. (Send your photos of the snow and location to emily.leayman@patch.com.)

Image of Surry County via Virginia State Police