DANVILLE, Va. – Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has declared a state of emergency in advance of a second winter storm to hit the state in less than a week. That storm will move in to Virginia late Thursday, bringing mixed precipitation to the Southside through the early morning hours on Friday.

In Danville, the storm is expected to begin as rain and snow before 2 am, with a slight chance of snow thereafter. The winter storm is expected to exit the state Friday morning but temperatures won’t rise much above freezing Friday afternoon. The current forecast from the National Weather Service calls for little or no snow accumulation in the Danville area.

The event comes on the heels of a Monday storm that left parts of the state covered in up to a foot of snow. Many areas still have snow and ice from that storm, and some regions remain without power due to fallen trees and power lines.

“Having two bouts of snow and icy weather back to back makes it more likely communities will need additional help as they continue to recover from the first round of tree-snapping wet snow and ice that we saw Monday,” Governor Northam said. “While we typically have ample resources for snowstorms, these back-to-back events will generate landmark winter weather that requires extra flexibility. I am grateful to the hundreds of first responders and emergency personnel who continue to work around the clock to keep Virginians safe.”

In hopes of avoiding the criticism that followed the agency’s response to Monday’s snowstorm, the Virginia Department of Transportation is pre-treating main roads and highways in Southwest Virginia with a salt and water solution called brine. That wasn’t done in the previous storm because V-DOT officials say the storm started as rain and that would’ve washed away any solution applied to the asphalt.

This storm is different since the roads are already cold due to the recent storm and the colder temperatures pose a greater challenge.

V-DOT is urging motorists to stay off the roads during and after the approaching storm.

Photo: Jill Mahan