Refresh this article regularly for the latest on Winter Storm Kingston and its impacts on Isle of Wight and Surry.

Feb. 20, 9 p.m.

An SUV struck a power pole in the 5000 block of Colonial Trail East in Surry County. The pole is down across Route 10 and the town of Surry is without power from the ferry to Route 10 west, the Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post just after 8 p.m. Dominion Energy and the Virginia Department of Transportation are en route to fix the problem. According to Dominion’s outage map, between 51 and 250 customers were without power as of 9 p.m.

Feb. 20, 1:39 p.m.

Virginia State Police said they’d responded to 861 incidents and investigated 223 crashes, with 11 reported injuries as of 1 p.m. across Hampton Roads. The majority of the incidents are of  motorist who have spun out of controlling, driving too fast for weather conditions.

Thogugh snowfall concluded early Thursday morning, Virginia Department of Transportation crews are continuing to plow roadways impacted by three inches to a foot of snow across Hampton Roads. In downtown Smithfield, Grace and Main streets have been plowed.

As of noon Thursday, interstates in Hampton Roads were in clear to minor condition with some snow and slush still visible along portions of the roadway, VDOT said in a news release. However, with snow removal operations still taking place on the shoulders, VDOT is advising motorists to still use extreme caution while traveling. VDOT said crews are actively treating and plowing the interstates, state-maintained primaries, and have also moved on to high-volume secondary routes in the Williamsburg, Eastern Shore and rural western portions of the region.

With freezing temperatures forecasted through Friday, any moisture remaining on the pavement could result in slick or icy conditions on the roadways, particularly on bridges, ramps, overpasses and shaded areas that typically freeze first, VDOT said. Wet spots on the road should be considered ice. Motorists are advised to avoid non-essential travel on state-maintained primary and secondary roadways until conditions improve. Beyond snow removal operations, crews will continue to monitor and address the interstate and state-maintained roadways as needed, including spreading salt and abrasives on icy patches or slick spots to melt ice and snow and improve traction.

Due to high snowfall accumulation and freezing temperatures, multi-day operations will continue into Friday, with roads that carry the most traffic getting top priority. VDOT said it works to make interstates and state-maintained primary routes numbered 1-599 passable first. Crews also focus on major secondary routes numbered 600 and higher with vital emergency and public facilities or those with high traffic volumes. Low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated after higher-priority routes are completed and additional resources are available, VDOT said. Crews expect to shift to low-volume secondary roads today and continuing tomorrow.

Feb. 20, 9:10 a.m.

Winter Storm Kingston had blanketed downtown Smithfield with seven inches of snow by Thursday morning as residents began digging themselves out. The National Weather Service says there’s a chance of further snow before 1 p.m. today, but additional accumulation is expected to be less than a half-inch if any. Temperatures aren’t expected to rise above freezing with a high of 32 degrees and a low around 18 degrees.

As of midnight on Thursday, Feb. 20, Virginia State Police troopers say they’ve responded to 743 incidents, investigated 197 crashes with 10 reported injuries across Hampton Roads.

The Virginia Department of Transportation said crews have been working throughout the storm to plow and treat state-maintained roads across. VDOT is urging people to avoid nonessential travel this morning.

“Having fewer cars on the road will help keep everyone safe and allow crews the time & space they need to perform their jobs safely,” VDOT said in a social media statement.

 

9:28 p.m.

9:23 p.m.

 

 

A bald eagle that was hit by a car in Isle of Wight County during today’s snowfall is on its way to recovery.
The Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office said a resident was able to contain the bird and contacted Animal Control, who then turned the eagle over to a local raptor rehabilitator.

“On snow days like today, there have been lots of collisions,” said Sheriff’s Office Capt. Tommy Potter. “When humans and wildlife collide, Animal Control relies heavily on licensed wildlife rehabiltators.”

Potter said Altons’ Keep Wildbird Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, a Suffolk-based wildlife rehabilitation nonprofit, was able to arrange pickup of the bird after a truck from Elberon-based Dixie Excavating & Hauling Inc. stopped to help the eagle.

“Thank you to all the wildlife rehabbers in the area,” Potter said. “They are truly incredible and have an amazing way of handling the animals in their care, nursing them to health and getting them back into the wild where they belong. Please contact only licensed wildlife rehabbers when you encounter injured or sick wildlife.”

The state Department of Wildlife Resources maintains an online list of wildlife rehabilitators, their contact information and specialties in handling specific types of animals at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/injured/rehabilitators/?fips=all.

8:05 p.m.

The Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post it responded to 27 traffic crashes and 11 disabled vehicles between noon and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19

6:25 p.m.

Snow accumulation in Smithfield’s historic district has reached just under four inches. Snow is still falling.

5:36 p.m.

Roughly three inches had accumulated in Smithfield’s historic district as of 5:30 p.m., which is on par with the two to four inches the National Weather Service had predicted earlier in the day. Snow is still falling heavily. The NWS forecast expects another two to four inches possible before 1 a.m. tonight and possibly another burst between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. that will bring less than an inch. Carrollton’s forecast calls for heavier overnight accumulation of an additional three to five inches.

As a result of the snow and ice across the state, the Virginia High School League is postponing all wrestling championship events scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 22.

The Class 4 through 6 VHSL state wrestling championships, in which Smithfield High School was to compete, are now scheduled for Saturday, March 1, at a to-be-determined location. The now-canceled Feb. 21-22 Group 4A event was to have been held in Virginia Beach, which is among the Hampton Roads localities expected to see the highest snow totals.

“We understand the uncertainty of schedule adjustments for all involved, but safety is our top priority,” said VHSL Executive Director Billy Haun. “Our goal is to provide all our athletes and schools with an opportunity to compete in a state competition. As much as we value those opportunities, we will not put participants or those families and school communities attending the championships at risk.”

4:41 p.m.

As snow continues to fall and accumulate across Hampton Roads, Virginia State Police say there have been 359 incidents, including 56 crashes, since midnight on Feb. 19.

The incidents occurred across the agency’s Division V area, which includes Isle of Wight and Surry counties, the rest of Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore and outlying  Brunswick, Gloucester, Greenville and Middlesex counties. Five of the crashes have resulted in non-life-threatening injuries. As of 4:25 p.m., there had been no fatal storm-related crashes.

3:48 p.m.

Isle of Wight County sent a message at 3:45 p.m. via its IW Alert text-message and email system warning that road conditions are deteriorating rapidly.

“Do not travel unless absolutely necessary,” the alert states. “Public safety crews are responding to multiple accidents.”

3:35 p.m.

Isle of Wight County Schools announced just after 3:30 p.m. that its schools and offices would remain closed for students and staff on Feb. 20. Additionally, all school activities and events are canceled. Friday, Feb. 21, will be an asynchronous day for students and a virtual work day for employees. Teachers shared work with their students on Tuesday to be completed during the asynchronous day.

Surry County Public Schools will also have a second consecutive asynchronous day for students and remain closed on Feb. 20, the division announced on its Facebook page.

3:22 p.m.

As of 3:20 p.m., just under an inch of snow had accumulated on the ground in downtown Smithfield and was still coming down hard. The NWS is still expecting Wednesday’s daytime snowfall to peak between two and four inches. Another two to four inches is possible overnight, and another burst of snow is possible Thursday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

1:13 p.m.

The Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce has rescheduled its “Ladies of Leadership” guided meditation with Christina Canavan of Ascension Healing for March 20 from 5:30-7 p.m. at SummerWind Vineyard at 71 Eagle Nest Lane, Smithfield. The event was originally scheduled for Feb. 20 but has been postponed due to Winter Storm Kingston. The event is open to women in Smithfield, Windsor, Isle of Wight and surrounding areas.

12:07 p.m.

The first flurries have started to fall over Smithfield’s historic district. The NWS forecast now calls for an initial two to four inches this afternoon and another three to seven inches overnight into Thursday. Temperatures aren’t expected to rise above freezing with a high of 30 degrees and northeast wind around 11 mph.

9:24 a.m.

The latest National Weather Service forecast calls for six to eight inches across most of Isle of Wight and Surry counties with between eight inches to a foot expected in Carrollton and along the county’s border with Suffolk.

Isle of Wight County Schools, Surry County Public Schools and Isle of Wight Academy will each close on Feb. 19. It will be an asynchronous learning day for Surry where teachers have provided instructional assignments for students to complete at home. Hampton Roads Classical has rescheduled its prospective parent information night to Feb. 27.