The Virginia Department of Transportation's Hampton Roads District will pre-treat roads throughout the region on Friday as it prepares for a potentially heavy snowfall this weekend and several days of freezing temperatures.

As of Thursday, crews across the Hampton Roads District have made equipment checks, topped off salt and fuel supplies and notified additional personnel to be ready to work throughout the weekend. An Emergency Operations Center could be activated as early as Friday evening to monitor conditions and direct the round-the-clock response. Forecasts from the National Weather Service are predicting snow to begin in the early morning hours Saturday and to increase in intensity after 7 a.m.

Motorists should stay off icy and snow-covered roads. VDOT’s pre-treatment helps prevent ice from bonding to the road and assists crews with snow and ice removal. However, even roads that have been pre-treated will still be slippery and hazardous when freezing temperatures com...