Photos & Video: Weekend Storm Dumps 14 Inches Of Snow On Short Pump

A weekend snowstorm that streamed across the East Coast dumped more than a foot of snow on the Short Pump area this past weekend, wreaking havoc on the roadways and causing a number of power outages. Unofficial estimates put the snow total at just around 14 inches near Short Pump Town Center. The swift moving […]

December 20, 2009; 10:29 PM • by Trevor Dickerson

The swift moving storm rolled into the area around 4:00 p.m. Friday, with snow sticking to roadways almost instantly due to the past week’s cold temperatures. By mid to late evening, local roadways were coated with a thick layer of powder and ice, causing more than 360 accidents and other traffic incidents around the metro area, according to police officials.

VDOT dispatched all available trucks to dispense salt and other agents onto major thoroughfares even before the precipitation began falling, but weren’t advised to begin plowing pavement until an inch of accumulation had fallen, per agency guidelines.

Many local retailers were forced to close their doors Saturday, traditionally one of the biggest shopping days before Christmas. Some business owners were snowed in at home, others, such as Boychik’s Deli in the Shoppes at Innsbrook, opened for business Saturday morning and decided to close shortly after due to slow sales.

West Broad Street, typically swamped with vehicles on the weekend before Christmas, was practically deserted, as most local residents opted to stay off roadways, as advised by emergency officials.

Short Pump Town Center decided to remain open, but shoppers were few and far between during our visit. We counted only between five and ten individuals braving the elements during our visit around noon on Saturday. Mall employees were fighting a losing battle to clear sidewalks and pathways around the outdoor center as a brisk snow continued to fall.

We drove around Friday, Saturday and Sunday and posted live photos and video from the scene on our Twitter account throughout the storm. Below are the highlights of our weekend storm coverage.

A snowy, festive scene Friday night in the main courtyard of Short Pump Town Center

Few shoppers braved the elements to big retailers like Best Buy Friday night as the snow came down with a vengeance

Road conditions remained rough Saturday morning along Nuckols Road as VDOT crews did their best to keep up with on-and-off precipitation that kept re-covering roadways

A Henrico County snow plow makes its way through the Wyndham development near The Dominion Club

Parking lots, such as this one at the Shoppes at Innsbrook, were plowed Friday night, only to be re-covered by fresh powder by Saturday morning

Silver Diner, near the entrance to Innsbrook, was one of only a few businesses open for breakfast Saturday, as conditions kept motorists off the roads

A couple demonstrates the easiest way to get around in the 14 inches of snow: by ski

As with most big snowfalls, the Short Pump Ukrop's saw its bread aisle picked clean by the time the flakes started to come down

While many churches canceled services Sunday morning, Richmond Community Church on Nuckols Road remained open for one service

Short Pump Town Center began thawing out and was bustling with shoppers by Sunday afternoon

Cars in the busy Downtown Short Pump shopping center parked any way they could around massive snow piles, including perpendicular to neighboring vehicles