While the sun shined brightly, it was a mere 8 degrees in South Norfolk this morning, with snow piled high after a Jan. 4 blizzard blew nearly 11 inches of the white stuff into the historic district overnight.

Creekmore’s, Sam’s Stop-n-Shop (which wins South Norfolk’s best-plowed parking lot award) and the little mini-mart on Park Avenue were open after the storm so most folks in South Norfolk were still able to get what they really needed without having to drive.

There were a few reports of power outages in the area, but the power held throughout the storm for most of the historic district.

A homeless man who had been camping in the South Norfolk Bainbridge bus stop shelter finally came inside with a neighbor Thursday night, and he stayed there until today, when he decided to return to the bus stop.

Blizzard 2018

View of Bainbridge, looking south, just before the Dollar General on Holly, taken by neighbor Nathan Wilson around noon on Jan. 4.

There have been complaints that the roads have not been plowed in South Norfolk, however, due to narrow roads and the city’s hierarchy of needs, the snow is likely to melt before the city gets around to plowing here.

Trash collection is officially scheduled for Monday, but some are speculating that there will still be too much snow for the trucks to operate. The city recommends putting out cans on Monday and leaving them out until the trash is collected, whenever that may be.

The city is urging residents not to go out at all, if possible, until as late as Wednesday, Jan. 10. Temperatures are expected to fall to 5 degrees tonight.

For more information on how the city plows, please visit this page on the city’s website.