Richmond area gets 8 inches; record 32 inches fall at Dulles

The record-setting two-day winter storm dumped more than 8 inches of snow in the Richmond area and more than two feet in parts of Northern Virginia.

"This is obviously one of the biggest snow events we have had in a very, very long time," said Sean Connaughton, Virginia's secretary of transportation, at a news conference yesterday attended by Gov. Bob McDonnell.

The storm caused more than 200,000 power blackouts at one point before diminishing last night. State police reported more than 1,500 traffic crashes and two storm-related deaths.

Snow that melts and freezes again could make morning commutes hazardous tomorrow and Tuesday. Low temperatures are expected to be in the midto upper teens tomorrow and Tuesday morning.

"Please, please stay off the road," McDonnell said. "These are dangerous conditions that will exist for days."

State police even suggested that people cancel Super Bowl party plans tonight if they involve driving.

At 7 last night, the Virginia Department of Transportation reported that several area roads were closed because of flooding in Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Prince George and Sussex counties.

The city of Richmond, under fire for its performance in last weekend's snowstorm, had an easier time keeping main roads cleared.

Six contractors helped city crews get ahead of the storm, said public works spokeswoman Sharon North. By midafternoon, attention could be turned to secondary and residential roads. The weather also helped.

"We're not battling ice this time," North said.

Locally, some people weren't impressed by the snowfall.

"I'm from Rhode Island. This is like Florida to us," said Ryan Moran between bites of a hot dog at Lucky's Citgo near Richmond's Lee Bridge.

Snowfall totaling 32.4 inches set an all-time record at Washington Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia, the National Weather Service said. The snow will probably set records in many Virginia localities, state officials said.

Unofficial snowfall totals available yesterday included 11.1 inches in western Henrico County, 6 inches in Beaverdam in Hanover County and 2 to 6.5 inches in Chesterfield.

Elsewhere, there were 16.8 inches in Albemarle, 12.5 inches in Louisa, 24.1 in Arlington, 28 in Fairfax, 23.5 in Stafford, 15 in Bedford and 10.5 in Roanoke counties.

Virginia's largest electric utility, Dominion Virginia Power, reported 75,057 outages last night, more than half in Northern Virginia. Appalachian Power, which serves much of western Virginia, had 32,826 customers without power, and local electric cooperatives reported thousands more.

People in transit were stuck at Amtrak and Greyhound stations in the Richmond area, with Greyhound passengers complaining that southbound buses were suspended when only rain was falling.

Nyisha Fields was in tears as she considered the prospect of two days at the bus terminal on the Boulevard instead of continuing to Alabama. "This morning I had a panic attack," she said.

"The decision to cancel the schedule isn't one taken lightly," said Maureen Richmond, a Greyhound spokeswoman. "When we assessed the incoming storm, we determined it was better to cancel . . . in anticipation of the storm."

Greyhound let people sleep on buses, and Amtrak arranged for hotel rooms.

Airport passengers faced 64 cancellations, more than half the scheduled flights. Today's schedule looked better, with fewer than 10 pre-canceled flights, said Troy Bell, airport spokesman.

Will Herring, co-owner of the Crossroads coffee shop near Forest Hill Park, said he gets a lot of business from sledders at the park. "This place almost feels like it's transformed into a ski lodge."

Authorities blamed the storm for the deaths of a father and son who were hit on a highway in Southwest Virginia on Friday while trying to help another driver.

At Dulles, part of a hangar roof collapsed and damaged some of the private jets housed inside, but no one was hurt, an official said. Trees fell in numerous localities.

Another winter storm -- perhaps just a dusting of snow in Richmond -- is expected Tuesday, state officials said.

Contact Rex Springston at (804) 649-6453 or .

Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or .

Staff writer Emily C. Dooley, deputy news editor Tom Kapsidelis and The Associated Press contributed to this report.