More than 21,000 customers in the Historic Triangle were without power Sunday evening after a winter storm dropped at least an inch of snow in the area.
As of 8:25 p.m. Sunday, there were more than 17,000 customers without power in James City County, 1,908 in Williamsburg and 2,390 in York County, according to the Dominion Energy outage map.
A winter weather advisory is in effect until 4 a.m. Monday in the Williamsburg area.
Dominion customers can report and check outages by calling 866-366-4357.
There’s a chance of rain, snow and sleet before 10 a.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
The forecast high Monday is 40 degrees (mostly cloudy), with overnight lows around 25 degrees.
The National Weather Service said a “prolonged period of snow” began late Saturday and would last until Monday in the region, with the heaviest snow expected in northwest North Carolina and southern Virginia. Some areas of North Carolina and Virginia saw more than a foot of snow by Sunday afternoon.
More than 300,000 power outages were reported across the region with the majority of those — about 240,000 — in North Carolina, according to poweroutage.us. Parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia also saw outages.
Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency Saturday.
“Virginians should take all necessary precautions to ensure they are prepared for winter weather storm impacts,” Northam said.
Virginia State Police said Interstate 81 in far southwest Virginia was particularly dangerous, with snow coming down faster Sunday afternoon than crews could clear it. Police said several tractor-trailers slid off the highway.
Officials warned residents to prepare emergency kits and stay off roads in impacted areas. Several schools districts in North Carolina and Virginia announced they’ll be closed Monday.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper also declared a state of emergency as the storm approached.
Cooper strongly urged residents to stay off the roads Sunday, asking drivers not to put lives of first responders needlessly at risk. Cooper said emergency crews, including the National Guard, worked overnight to clear traffic accidents on major roadways. One tractor trailer ran off a road and into a river, Cooper said.
“Stay put if you can,” Cooper said. “Wrap a few presents, decorate the tree, watch some football.”
Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the sixth busiest airport in the country, said American Airlines reduced its operations, with more than 1,000 flights canceled on Sunday.
American Airlines also issued a travel alert for nine airports throughout the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia, meaning passengers may be able to change travel plans without a fee.
Travelers were advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport. Cancellations were reported on flights from as far as the Midwest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
