Our immediate response to Winter Storm Fern was to clear our primary and secondary roads, which is always our first priority. This first step is crucial as it creates safer conditions and more efficient response times for Henrico emergency services to reach those in need.
We have been working on the subdivisions since Jan. 31. Roads were treated with a mixture of salt and sand, and it has worked together with the higher temperatures and sunny weather to melt the ice on a majority of subdivision roads.
We are continuing to monitor and retreat roads that are still in need of attention.
Updated: Feb. 10
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FAQ
Why did it take so long to clear the primary and secondary roads?
This particular storm brought a triple threat of unsafe conditions: snow, then ice, then freezing cold temperatures continuing past the storm. In Virginia, we are fortunate enough to usually have temperatures well above 20 degrees, even after a storm. Once we get into the 30s and 40s, anything on the roads starts to melt on its own, making our job MUCH easier.
This time, the freezing temperatures, particularly overnight, continued to make the roads worse and harder to clear. We had to keep going back over the primary and secondary roads because our usual number of passes with the plow wasn’t able to clear as well as usual.
Why does the temperature matter so much?
The salt used for melting ice and snow on the roads is most effective when the temperature is around 25 degrees or above. Once it gets below 20, it’s not very effective at all.
What if there’s an emergency on my street? The ambulance won’t be able to get through.
We are working very closely with our partners at Henrico’s divisions of Fire and Police. We have been escorting police and EMS services into neighborhoods as needed and making sure they are able to get in and out to help residents in need.
Why hasn’t my neighborhood street been plowed yet?
Simply put, because we just can’t plow at this time. With typical Virginia storms and weather, we’re able to send our full fleet and clear streets with just a few passes. Most roads have a multi-inch layer of ice on them, and our standard plows can’t remove it. We’re only able to use our heaviest-duty equipment to slowly break the ice apart and then push it. It’s a slow process that has taken multiple pieces of heavy equipment hours. We were able to get the primary and secondary roads cleared before they were too frozen to work on.
What can I do?
All subdivisions should have an entrance/exit street that has been cleared enough to be passable. These are typically our secondary roads. You may need to drive very slowly on top of the ice on your street in order to reach these roads.
You may also find you need to use a different route to leave your neighborhood than you typically use.
My road was plowed, but now there’s a big pile of snow and ice in front of my driveway.
Unfortunately, this can happen with plowing operations. To maximize our resources countywide, we are unable to plow out individual driveways.