HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — People woke up to beautiful views Thursday as folks found fun in the snow, while crews around the region worked to clear it from the roads.

Virginia Beach

Down in the southside, in Virginia Beach’s Town Center, WAVY’s Keagan Hughes saw about 10-inches of snow near the Nordstrom Rack. As a lifelong Virginia Beach resident, Keagan said this is the most snow she has seen in the area in many years.

Although most of the snow has fallen in the area, drivers are still encouraged not to travel on the roads if possible. Falling temperatures Thursday night will bring icy conditions.

Crews have worked diligently to keep the city’s top priority roads clear. On London Bridge Road, a priority two road, 10 On Your Side caught up with a Virginia Beach public works snowplow that can also put down salt, and we spotted several snow trucks at the ready heading west on Interstate 264. The city crews were also working on Salem, Birdneck and Haygood roads.

There was also about 30 feet of dumped snow in the Mission BBQ parking lot at Town Center.

Some of the kids we spotted said they were enjoying the snow, and that they didn’t miss being in school.

“I like the snow, but don’t like to get wet,” Ashton Ware said. “[I] have fun with my buddies with snowballs and everything, and making a snowman.”

Meanwhile, Aaiden Ware said he didn’t miss being in school.

Virginia Beach residents said they were generally pleased with the city’s response in treating and clearing the roads.

City resident Ricardo Escorpiso said four-wheel drive vehicles and golf carts laid paths in the snow to make it easier for other vehicles to get out of neighborhoods.

“So far, the snow hasn’t been so bad,” Escorpiso said. “Just trying to get around, dealing with it in my driveway and in my neighborhood. Once I got out of the neighborhood, it was pretty decent. Streets are well-cleared off, for the most part, so I believe Virginia Beach has done a really good job keeping the roads clear.”

Chesapeake

In southern Chesapeake, WAVY’s Brett Hall noted the road conditions on Cedar Road, there were many roads that had been cleared, but there were still slick spots of slush.

Crews reported that because there was no morning commute, it was easier to get more roads clear, and they were getting to secondary roads.

Norfolk

Things are definitely cold and they are definitely getting icier in Norfolk, making for another busy night for crews trying to remove snow, as it’ll be another overnight shift for snow removal crews, including contractors, as they battle against the snow and slush turning into ice.

“We have our stormwater folks who aren’t doing a ton of stormwater work right now driving pickups with plows, running front-end loaders, clearing things like community centers, police precincts, fire stations,” said Richard Broad, Norfolk Public Works director. “And we also have departments of general services, parks and recreation, utilities, everybody is on deck trying to clear out all the city facilities.”

Worsening road conditions will lead to dangerous driving conditions, so city officials are advising you to please be careful.

On East Main Street, crews were moving piles of snow to the side of the road, but there still is plenty of work to be done.

“Overnight, we expect conditions to freeze,” Broad said. “A lot of what you see is slush. [It] will freeze and be black ice in the morning, so if you’re commuting in the morning and it’s dark, be careful of black ice.”

Crews are working 12-hour shifts as they continue salting and sanding the roads, but again, we can’t stress enough the importance of slowing down and taking your time. Broad said the bulk of the work Thursday has been working on secondary roads.

“We have two contractors working primary and secondary roads,” Broad said, “and we have one contractor dedicated to downtown, so the streets and bridge crews are pretty much sticking to the primary and secondary roads.”

Hampton

10 On Your Side’s Deja Parker was in Hampton, where she measured around five-inches of snow on Mercury Boulevard.

WAVY’s Karina Garcia said the snow was fluffy and perfect in Hampton, perfect enough to make a snowball, but a little more difficult to make a snowman. Karina got a sledding lesson before going down the hill herself.

Across the region

Most major interstates around the region had been cleared and were either part dry or just wet. On Hampton Boulevard going over the Lafayette River, it was still dicey in some parts, especially for pedestrians, according to 10 On Your Side’s Brett Hall, who noted that few, if any, sidewalks had been cleared.

According to Virginia State Police, as of 1 p.m. on Feb. 20, troopers have responded to over 860 incidents throughout the Commonwealth, with 11 reported injuries. Many of the incidents were determined to have been caused due weather conditions, police said.

Sgt. Michelle Anaya told 10 On Your Side that in one instance, while a state trooper was exiting his vehicle to assist with an accident on the road on Wednesday, another vehicle struck the trooper. Shortly afterwards, another trooper went to assist the trooper struck by the vehicle, but was also struck by a separate vehicle.

Anaya also urges residents to avoid using exit and entrance ramps for sledding, as the icy conditions could lead to injuries.

“We do have a problem with individuals going out there and sledding and not realizing the dangers that they are putting themselves in,” Anaya said.

WAVY’s team coverage on the winter storm will continue throughout the day. Stay tuned on air and online for updates.