01.18.2024

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Today’s Forecast

46º | Partly cloudy | 2% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:22 a.m. | Sunset 5:17 p.m.

❄️ Richmond’s famous blizzard

Remembering Richmond’s blizzard of 1996

The blizzard of ’96 blanketed all of Virginia in a layer of snow. | Photo courtesy of NOAA

If this week’s winter weather has you feeling nostalgic, you may have found yourself thinking back to Jan. 6-8, 1996, when Virginia was “walloped” by over a foot of snow. The massive storm was the last time Richmond has been issued a Blizzard Warning.

The event was one of the largest winter storms to hit the East Coast in recent memory. A full foot of snow was measured at Richmond International Airport and total accumulation was even higher in the western Henrico. Out in Louisa, a building collapsed under the weight of the precipitation.

State and federal government offices shut down for two days. Schools were out for longer — Chesterfield County schools had to pause for a full nine days. Some parts of the state, especially in the Shenandoah Valley region, were coated in 3+ feet of snow. There were 18 fatalities in Virginia, according to the National Weather Service.

Three boys watch a dog on a sled — Richmond’s top 10 snowstorms span nearly a century of freezing weather — this photo ran in the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 1958.
|
Richmond Newspapers, Inc. 1958, The Valentine.

January 1996 has become a local touchstone as the most snow received in the last 30 years. However, if you dig back into Richmond’s history, there have actually been ten storms with greater snowfall. The biggest snowstorm on record in the River City was Jan. 23-24, 1940, when 21+ inches of snow fell on the city, and a new record low temperature of -12°F was set.

The next greatest, in order of total accumulation, were 1922, 1983, 1908, 1899, 1962, 1980, 1966, 1980 (again), and 1936.

Hardywood is marking the occasion with a special alt-rock event of with 1996 (the band).

Asked

Do you remember the blizzard of January 1996? Click the button below to share your memories of the snowstorm with us.

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Events

Thursday, Jan. 18

Profs & Pints: Ancient Sea Monsters | Thursday, Jan. 18 | 6-8:30 p.m. | Triple Crossing Beer – Fulton, 5203 Hatcher St., Richmond | $16-$17 | Professor Georgia Irby will take a look at the imagined horrors of ancient Greece and Rome and their influence on later cultural works.
“Solider of Destiny” Book Talk | Thursday, Jan. 18 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Join author John Reeves for a discussion on Ulysses S. Grant’s rise to become general-in-chief of the United States Army.

Friday, Jan. 19

Sicard Hollow | Friday, Jan. 19 | 7 p.m. | Richmond Music Hall, 619 E. Main St., Richmond | $15 | Jam out at this psychedelic folk-rock show with Chris Leggett & the Copper Line.

Saturday, Jan. 20

VCU Women’s Basketball vs. La Salle | Saturday, Jan. 20 | 1 p.m. | Siegel Center, 1200 W. Broad St., Richmond | $7-$10 | Get ready for a Barbie-themed game with pink carpet pre-game pictures and discounts on tickets with code BARBIE.
Storytime with Parney & Bam | Saturday, Jan. 20 | 7 p.m. | Richmond Music Hall, 619 E. Main St., Richmond | $10 | Enjoy an evening with the local legends as they share jokes and stories.

Sunday, Jan. 21

“The French Connection” | Sunday, Jan. 21 | 2 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St., Richmond | $9 | The 1971 neo-noir thriller stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Civic

City Council is looking to extend benefits to all domestic partners of city employees, rather than only those who are legally married. Champions of the proposal say it will help Richmond attract talented employees while also embracing inclusivity. (VPM)

Biz

Following issues over how local restaurants pay the meals tax, city officials have proposed changes to how those taxes are collected and penalties are applied. These would differ from the state’s system for dealing with late payments, but would help restaurant owners avoid racking up fees. (Richmond BizSense)

Edu

Tranelle Pollard of Dogwood Middle School has been named 2024 RPS Teacher of the Year. Pollard, who is the Lead School Counselor at Dogwood, was named as Dogwood’s Teacher of the Year in November.

Sports

VUU and VSU mens basketball will face off this Saturday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m in the Freedom Classic game. VUU Coach Jay Butler’s freshman-heavy squad has lost eight of their last nine games, but the Panthers have won the last seven Freedom Classics. The game will be held at the Multipurpose Center in Ettrick. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Arts

Virginia Opera has announced its newest production, “Cotton,” an eight-song cycle inspired by the photography of John Dowell. The libretto was written by eight nationally-renowned African American poets and composed by Damien Geter. Free performances will take place in Richmond on Feb. 1 and 7.

Jobs

Oregon Hill’s eclectic French restaurant L’Opossum is hiring servers, back waiters, and a host. Submit your resume in person or via email.

Active

Is there a gym or fitness studio around town you’ve been wanting to check out? Get a free month of ClassPass + sample multiple gyms with just one membership.*

History

Henrico buys its birthplace

Henrico County to buy historic Varina Farms

A drone image of Varina Farms overlooking the James River

Much of the land around Varina Farms remains as it was in the 17th century. | Photo courtesy of Henrico County

Henrico County has announced that it intends to purchase Varina Farms, a historic 2,095-acre farm on the banks of the James River. The Board of Supervisors voted to make the $17.25 million deal on Wednesday, Jan. 17. It will be the largest investment the county has ever made in historic land preservation.

Varina Farms was the residence of John Rolfe and Pocahontas after their marriage in 1614. It served as the Henrico County seat of government from 1632 until 1752. It also includes a two-story home, built in 1853, that features damage attributed to Civil War cannonball fire.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Tyrone Nelson of Varina called the farm “the birthplace of Henrico County.” Explore the site with this 3D tour of the grounds.

The Buy

The Buy 1.18.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Sleep mist, a cozy sweatshirt, or tea from Six & Main’s homebody collection. That’s right, there’s a collection specifically devoted to staying comfy and cozy at home (count us in).

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
David

From the editor

The blizzard of ’96 was a subject of discussion on the RVA subreddit a few months back, with over a hundred comments discussing the historic snowfall. Feel free to share some of your memories with us.

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