After a quick look at the models and official forecasts this morning I think most of Virginia is in line for a record-breaking snowfall. I can't remember a major snowstorm this big prior to Christmas. We're talking potential for 1-2 feet in a lot of places, which would eclipse snowfall records for December by a wide margin. The forecast discussions also mention the potential for thundersnow given the tremendous lapse rates (change of temperature with height) provided by the overall storm's energy. This is equivalent to having heavy convective thunderstorms dump tons of rain, except in this case it will be the white stuff coming down in bursts.
One model I looked at this morning calls for the low pressure system that will form off the NC coast to have a central pressure of 972 mb...that equates to a strong Category 2 hurricane! So not only will we have heavy and deep snow, we'll also have strong winds to blow it around. Look for 2-4 foot snowdrifts in places. Hope you've already been to the grocery store!