RICHMOND, Va. Virginia officials defending their response to a blizzard that stranded hundreds of motorists along a major interstate highway said conditions for the gridlock were caused by a combination of unusually heavy snowfall, plunging temperatures and a rainy start that kept them from pretreating the roads.
Jackknifed tractor-trailers blocked traffic in both directions along the vital corridor south of the nation's capital. Some people waited 16 hours or more for rescue.