"Major winter event" coming this weekend, National Weather Service says
We could get ice in addition to --or in place of -- snow, which would be trouble. Also today -- Muscarelle Museum of Art opens exhibit featuring female expressionist artists, York County talks budget.
A major winter event will hit us this weekend, but weather forecasters in the National Weather Service’s Wakefield office are not sure yet if we will get snow, ice, or a combination. One thing they do know – it will be really, really cold.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Wakefield office said it had “increasing confidence for a major winter storm this weekend and very cold temperatures behind it. Recent model guidance has decreased the amount of snowfall and increased the amount of ice, but there remains uncertainty regarding the precipitation types and timing.”
Ice forming on top of snow could bring down trees and power lines and make travel dangerous.
The crazy weather is the result of a split in the jet stream, with the northern stream bringing in cold arctic air from Canada, while the southern stream pumps in moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.
The uncertainty about what type of precipitation predominates results from an area of low pressure that will form off the Carolina coast, which might warm temperatures enough to turn the snow into freezing rain or even plain rain.
Various weather models are predicting a 50-70% chance of 6 inches or more of snow north of Richmond, and only 20-40% for our region. But the Local Rare Event Forecast model, used by forecasters to identify worst case probabilities in extreme weather, says we have a 50-70% chance of seeing a quarter inch of ice, and a 30-60% chance of half an inch.
For now, the weather service is predicting a slight chance of mixed rain and snow Friday night. Timing is uncertain, but it appears precipitation starts late Saturday afternoon into Sunday.
Because temperatures are expected to remain below freezing much of next week, we can’t count on warm weather to melt things anytime soon.
Today will be the warmest day of the week, a good time to finish your snow preparations.
James City County officials offered the following safety tips:
Stay Informed: Sign up for emergency alerts at JCCAlert.org to receive notifications on cell phones and email.
Prepare Your Home: Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, ensure proper insulation, and verify weather stripping around doors and windows. Know how to shut off water valves to prevent damage from burst pipes.
Winterize Your Car: Have your battery, antifreeze, and tires tested. Keep a winter emergency kit in your vehicle containing an ice scraper, jumper cables, blankets, sand or salt for traction, and a flashlight.
Safe Heating: If you lose power, use only safe alternative heat sources. Never use generators or grills indoors due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Physical Safety: Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow, as the strain on the heart in cold weather can be dangerous.
For more detailed preparedness resources, you can visit the county’s official page: James City County Preparedness Resources
Muscarelle exhibit highlights overlooked female abstract art pioneers
Female abstract painters who labored in the shadow of their male contemporaries like Jackson Pollock – including his wife – are in the spotlight in the Muscarelle Museum of Art’s new exhibition opening Friday.
Abstract Expressionists: The Women, has its first East Coast showing in Williamsburg through April 26. Tickets to the exhibit cost $12, but there will be no additional charge to join docent-led tours of the exhibition twice a day.
The impressive collection features nearly 50 paintings by 32 female artists including Lee Krasner, Pollock’s wife, whose eerie painting “Prophecy” is on display. Krasner finished the painting shortly before Pollock died in a car crash with his mistress, said collector Christian Levett, and she believed it may have been foreshadowing his end.
“’It’s an important moment of recognition,” said Museum Director David Brashear. “For many years, the story of Abstract Expressionism has overlooked its women pioneers.”
The exhibit presents the women who were key figures in helping shape one of the 20th century’s most influential artistic movements.
Other artists in the exhibit include Claire Falkenstein, Joan Mille, Emiko Nakano and Grace Hartigan.
The paintings are on loan from Levett’s collection and the FAMM (Female Artists of the Mougins Museum) in France. Levett will speak with museum members at a pre-opening reception today.
“That’s part of what we’re trying to demonstrate, is that just like the men, they worked for years and developed...in parallel paths with these men that got much more recognition at the time,” said Levett. He said the female painters tended to paint with a lighter palette than their male contemporaries.
He told us the disparity between male and female expressionists extends beyond their fame to the value of their paintings.
Contemporary male artists’ work tends to sell for six to seven times what the work of their female contemporaries fetches, Levett told us. The paintings of deceased male painters usually command up to six times what their female counterparts receive.
York kicks off public sessions on new budget
York County officials project modest growth in the county’s budget next fiscal year, when they expect to fund capital spending for schools and county buildings as well as employee compensation.
Senior Budget Analyst Greg Gillette told the board of supervisors Tuesday night the budget for Fiscal Year 2027, which starts July 1, would see the first full year of revenue growth from the 2026 reassessment of real estate values, which are averaging double-digit increases.
He said 67% of the operating budget goes to schools and public safety.
Deputy County Administrator Susan Goodwin told supervisors the county is on track to bring in $201.3 million in operating funds, nearly half of it from real estate taxes. She projected a surplus of $2.9 million this year.
In response to a question from 4th District Supervisor G. Stephen Roane, Jr., Goodwin said if current Congressional negotiations lead to another government shutdown it could cost the county revenue from sales taxes. She said she thinks the last government shutdown was partly responsible for a $300,000 gap in expected sales tax revenue last year.
Tuesday kicked off the first public hearing on the proposed budget, although only two people spoke.
There will be town hall meetings for public input March 31 and April 2, and another public hearing April 21, before the budget is adopted, Gillette said.
Taxpayers can see budget information on the county website, Yorkcounty.gov.Budget, and email comments to bos@yorkcounty.gov.
New wine bar gets city incentive
A new wine bar expected to open in Williamsburg this spring was approved for a $10,560 revenue sharing incentive from the city’s economic development authority Wednesday.
Ricky’s Wine Bar, a new neighborhood wine bar planned for 501 Prince George Street, will offer a selection of European and Virginia wines and a rotating menu of small plates inspired by the Italian tradition of aperitivo.
Riccardo Rinaldi and his wife Amber own the restaurant. He brings more than 20 years of culinary experience.
“Ricky’s Wine Bar is about creating a place where people feel comfortable coming together – whether it’s for a casual glass of wine, a shared plate, or an unhurried evening with friends,” Rinaldi said in a press release.
The EDA approved a revenue-sharing incentive of up to $10,560 to support exterior improvements that enhance the property’s outdoor dining area, including weather-resistant infrastructure to allow the patio to be used year-round. The incentive will be awarded over time as a partial refund of the local sales and meals taxes generated by the business.
The city should generate more than $180,000 in sales and meals tax revenue in the first five years of the restaurant’s operation.
State Headlines
A bill to extend standard deduction fails, Democrats and Republicans sound off on paid family medical leave, $15 minimum wage moves forward
Voting access bills move forward as Democrats block GOP early voting limits
Passings
Deborah Ann Gregory, 61, January 17.
Shirley Lorraine Bowman, 96, January 17.
George Franklin Bowers, 90, January 17.
Audrey Francis Alden, 93, January 17.
The wage/value gap for female abstract expressionists is wild when you considerhow much Lee Krasner and Grace Hartigan contributed to the movement's formal development. Six to seven times less market value for contemporaries doing comparable work isn't just unfair,its art history actively erasing half the story. I remember visiting a small exhibit of Joan Mitchell's work years ago and being struck by how little recognition she got compared to de Kooning despite similar technical mastery.