PHOTO BY WENDY HARLOWOf course, a snow day for children means a chance to play. Above, Caden Hutson, 8, of Mathews, enjoys his makeshift sled. Below, Steven Rowe takes aim with a snowball.

The first few days of the new year proved to be anything but normal as schools, businesses and government agencies all across Virginia were forced to deal with hazardous weather conditions.
After an unusually warm winter weekend, several Virginia localities experienced early morning flooding on Monday followed by the first winter snow and freezing conditions as temperatures began to drop.
According to the National Weather Service Forecast Office at Wakefield, a record high temperature of 76 degrees was set in Norfolk on Jan. 1, breaking the previous record high of 75 for New Year’s Day which was set in 1952. A record high minimum temperature was also set the same day at 58 degrees, breaking the previous minimum record high of 55 degrees set in 1973.
According to the NWS, Gloucester Court House rece...