Heavy snow and freezing rain caused hundreds of crashes in Virginia and left tens of thousands of residents in the dark as the central Appalachians and parts of the mid-Atlantic states are bracing for heavy rains.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain were expected to continue pummeling the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic states Wednesday, while California readied for a storm that could flood areas ravaged by

Travel will become treacherous Tuesday through early Wednesday in much of Virginia and West Virginia, the National Weather Service said.

Wintry weather is coming, and with Governor Glenn Youngkin's state of emergency declaration, everyone in the commonwealth is gearing up for swift and efficient responses.