StormTracker8: VIPIR Alert Day for Freezing Rain and Ice

Richmond, Va. (WRIC) -- The snow has transitioned to mainly sleet across Central Virginia, and soon we will transition into freezing rain.

The sleet is adding to our snowfall totals, and will actually compress the snow. What we have right now on the ground is the most snow we're expecting to see accumulate today.

The sleet will transition to freezing this late morning to early afternoon. This is the problem precipitation. It falls as rain and freezes upon contact with the ground. Everything will be coated with a layer of ice by this evening. Some folks near the coast and along the peninsulas will transition to regular old rain later this afternoon and evening, which will really cut down on your snow and sleet totals.

We are still expecting close to 1/2 inch of ice accumulation across much of our area, including metro Richmond. This is projected to cause widespread power outages. Be sure your devices are charged as we head into this afternoon.

Remember, these issues will not be resolved anytime soon. Tomorrow, although temperatures may briefly climb above freezing in the early morning hours, we are not expecting to see any melting over the coming days. We will continue to see highs below freezing all week, and Tuesday and Wednesday morning lows will be frigid, in the single digits. With winds near 15-20mph, "feels like" temperatures could dip into the negatives. If you leave the house Tuesday or Wednesday especially, take extreme caution and wear many layers. Don't have any exposed skin.