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

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 the recent wildfires.

Heavy snow and freezing rain caused hundreds of traffic crashes in Virginia and left tens of thousands of residents in the dark as the central Appalachians and parts of the

Wind, snow and even freezing rain is on the way to the region on Thursday.With nasty weather, comes the risk of power outages.Pacific Power said it is expecting