Winter Weather in Virginia, December 23 to 24, 1998

A cold front swept across Virginia on the 22nd of December, ushering in sub-freezing air that set the stage for a mixed bag of precipitation the following day. On the 23rd, a weak upper level disturbance from the Gulf States moved quickly across the Mid Atlantic region, dropping between a trace and 2 inches of snow across Northern Virginia, in addition to a thin layer of ice and sleet. The combination of mixed precipitation, holiday travellers, and the first snowstorm of the season for drivers led to many traffic accidents. Law enforcement officials reported 70 accidents during the evening rush hour on the 23rd around Washington D.C. In Fairfax County, a tanker truck slid into a ditch in Centreville, leading to a hazardous materials spill and an 11 hour road closure. Interstate 81 was also treacherous, especially between Stephens City and Winchester in Frederick County. A tractor trailer tipped over on the I-81 ramp to U.S. Route 50, closing it from 3 to 11 PM, and two people were injured in a crash at the I-81 Millwood Pike bridge. The westbound lanes of Interstate 64 had to be shut down for two hours in Albemarle County after a tractor trailer wrecked east of Afton and over 50 other accidents lined the highway. A 25 car pileup was reported on U.S. 29 just south of Greene/Albemarle County line. State Route 3 and 208 had to be closed for a short time due to multiple accidents. A 74 year old man was killed in a car accident on the 23rd at 5:45 PM on State Route 208 in Spotsylvania County after his vehicle hit ice and flipped over. Snowfall totals included 0.4 inches at Washington Reagan National Airport (Arlington County), 0.5 inches in Augusta, Rockingham, and Rappahannock Counties, 0.6 inches at Dulles International Airport (Eastern Loudoun County), 0.7 inches in Orange County, 1.0 inches in Frederick, Clarke, Madison and Albemarle County, 1.3 inches in Western Loudoun County, and 1.7 inches in Fauquier County. In addition, many locations received a coating of freezing rain and sleet. This thin layer of ice knocked out power for up to 12 hours for 100 customers in Albemarle County early on the 24th. The wintry mix remained on the ground through December 25th, giving the region a rare "white Christmas".