Richmond is once again facing 2 to 4 inches of snow this weekend.

Why it matters: Residents have seen firsthand how winter storms can threaten local water supplies.

Driving the news: On Thursday afternoon, city officials laid out their plans to prevent the incoming storm from turning out how it did on Monday — with a power outage at the water plant leading to the loss of running water for nearly three days.

What happened last time, per Mayor Avula: An automatic switch to a backup power source didn't automatically switch when the outage happened. An operator told the mayor he hadn't seen that happen in 25 years.

• An electrician determined after manually turning it on that the backup generators weren't needed.
• But by then, a battery backup had failed, and the IT system that alerts staff to problems and controls the valves crashed.
• That resulted in flooding and a lack of visibility among staff to what was happening.

What will be different this time: Avula said they're increasing staffing and surveillance roles at the plant through the weather event.

• They're testing generator and battery backups, increasing the frequency of site inspections and having additional mechanics, technicians, electricians and engineers on standby.
• The IT contractors who support the computer system that previously crashed will be onsite.
• Dominion Energy will be on "high alert."

What's next: Avula vowed to run "a rigorous, comprehensive" and transparent investigation into what went wrong. The city has already reached out to a firm to help with it, per the mayor.

• And when asked if people would be held accountable if leadership or personnel failures are found, he said "That's the job."

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Richmonders are close to the end of a perfect storm of a week that kept public schools and businesses closed, put the brand-new mayor under scrutiny, and delayed the start of the state's legislative session.

Why it matters: While Richmond isn't 100% through the water crisis — boil water advisory remains in effect — the post-mortem process is starting now.

Zoom in: Here are a few things we still don't know:

• A clear timeline on who knew what and when, including the surrounding counties.
• Why social media seemed to know about the water crisis hours before the public was informed.
• What role aging infrastructure played in the crisis — and why issues flagged in earlier inspections, as reported by WTVR, weren't addressed sooner.
• Why communication was so slow and sparse earlier in the week.
• If small businesses and workers affected by the water outage will be eligible for some sort of financial support.
• Why the region's waterworks are so interconnected — and if there are there plans to change that.
• How can we permanently ensure this never happens again.

Go deeper

🌴 Gov. Youngkin and other Republican governors met in Mar-a-Lago last night for a dinner with President-elect Trump. (Times-Dispatch)

🏥 At least four Richmond-area hospitals, including VCU, had to send patients to other hospitals this week due to the water crisis. (Times-Dispatch)

🌶️ Richmond-based spice maker (and Duke's Mayo owner) Sauer Brands is being sold by its Charlotte-based private equity firm owner to Boston-based private equity firm Advent International. (BizSense)

• The sale price wasn't disclosed, but Sauer is valued at $1.5 billion.

The forecasts of as much as 4 inches of snow and ice, starting tonight, don't come close to touching the city's snowiest day record (likely even for this week).

Flashback: On Jan. 24, 1940, nearly 20 inches of snow fell in Henrico, where the city's reporting site is, according to the National Weather Service.

• That holds the city's record for the most snowfall in one day.

Zoom out: The state record for one-day snowfall was set in beautiful Loudoun County in 2016, where 36.6 inches of snow fell on Jan. 24 — the same date as Richmond's snowiest day, only 76 years later.

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🏙️ Check out what's happening around Richmond.

​​Lafayette Bicentennial Farewell Tour Dinner at Virginia Museum of History & Culture Jan 25: Join the Virginia Museum of History & Culture for an elegant evening commemorating the 200th anniversary of a grand dinner honoring the Marquis de Lafayette. Enjoy an historically inspired meal & drinks including a champagne toast, period music, and an intimate performance by period reenactors.

Interested in featuring an event? Email [email protected].

In the middle of RVA's epic start to January, Realtor.com re-upped a recent honorific for the region, telling us that Richmond is one of the top cities in the nation for "quality of life right now."

Why it matters: We're not experts, but we're pretty sure running water is important to quality of life.

Driving the news: The list, first out in November from U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking, looked at factors like health care access and air quality, plus residents' satisfaction with their daily lives.

• Richmond landed at No. 14 out of the top 15 spots.

Yes, but: Timing is everything, and Realtor.com's mid-week release of the list (coupled with their "right now" emphasis), made for a good laugh for us in this crazy week. So of course we had to share it.

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