Stunning Photos Show Iconic Beach City Blanketed in Foot of Rare Snow

The Atlantic coastal states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina saw their first major snowfall in years this week when a winter storm tore through the area, dumping up to a foot or more in some places. And while the snow made for some headaches for residents, it also transformed the tourist destination of Virginia Beach into a veritable winter wonderland.

The scene was captured by Charlottesville-based storm chaser and nature photographer Peter Forister, who posted a couple of surreal photos to social media on Thursday morning after the last of the flurries had come to a rest. In the first photo, the pristine, untouched snowfall contrasted against the calm skies; while in the second, the iconic Virginia Beach hotel strip could be seen blanketed in snow.

"The arctic? Nope, this is Virginia Beach," Forister captioned an Instagram post. "Spent the night covering a record-setting snowstorm in the Hampton Roads area. [Over 12 inches] is a massive storm for this area."

In a separate post shared to X, formerly Twitter, Forister shared video of the waves lapping the snowy shore. "Feeling arctic at the Virginia Beach oceanfront this morning," he wrote.

Feeling arctic at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront this morning #vawx pic.twitter.com/YmHeDmz8Jf

— Peter Forister ❄️????❄️ (@forecaster25) February 20, 2025

According to WTKR News 3, while most of the area saw six to 10 inches of snow accumulation, some parts of Virginia Beach saw snowfall in the double digits.

The places that recorded the highest snow totals were Macons Corner in Virginia Beach, the Greenbrier area of Chesapeake, and the Sigma community of Virginia Beach with 13 inches, 12.5 inches and 12.4 inches, respectively. Next, the storm is expected to move north up the east coast, where some areas may see flurries, snow showers and locally heavy snow squalls into Thursday evening.