Widespread power outages hit customers as temps hover in teens -- UPDATED

Facebook this morning is full of status updates from friends who live from Crimora to Waynesboro to Fishersville to Stuarts Draft to Greenville waking up without power. With temps dipping from upper single digits to low teens and a dusting of snow still on the ground from Thursday's storm, it promises to be a chilly morning for some.

According to Dominion Power's outage map, the problem crosses Afton. Facebook is buzzing with information. Missy Kenny who lives in Kent's Store wrote, "Central Virginia Electric Cooperative has been notified that an issue on the Dominion Virginia Power transmission system is affecting CVEC members served by the following CVEC substations: Midway (near Crozet), Martins Store (serves Afton, Nellysford, Nelson County from Shipman to Covesville), and the substations on Wintergreen Mountain."

Shenandoah Valley Electric Coooperative is also affected in Augusta County. The Staunton News-Leader has updates and reported at 8:30 a.m. that over 30,000 electric customers have been affected.

Stay warm out there. 

Update 9:05 a.m.: Reportedly the cause of the outages is a transformer that caught fire in Crimora. 

Update 10:15 a.m.:  Dominion Power is reporting the largest outage area is Shenandoah region with 20,000 customers without electricity. That is followed by 750 outages in Northern Virginia, 450 in Richmond, and 400 in southeastern Virginia.

Update 10:30 a.m.: I've heard from the SWAC bloggers who live in Fishersville and they are without power ... Fishersville Mike, Kurt, Jason. We're hearing power is supposed to be restored sometime by noon. If not, we may have to party at SWAC Girl's house where we not only have electricity for football games and to charge up electronic devices but also a fired-up wood stove and hot coffee. LOL. Stay warm out there.

Update 10:45 a.m.: Here's the latest from Dominion Virginia Electric:

We have experienced an equipment failure at a transmission substation near #Waynesboro, resulting in power outages to 19,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers and 13,000 coop customers.

To help restore power, we're asking all customers without power to leave on one light and turn off all other lights and major appliances, including heat pumps.

This will help us restore power and prevent customers from experiencing any additional outages when we begin restoring power.

We expect it will be early afternoon before power begins being restored. Thanks to everyone for your patience!

Update 11:15 a.m.: Power is ON in Staunton so lots of Waynesboro, Fishersville, Stuarts Draft, Crimora, and folks from other areas are visiting businesses and restaurants causing a Facebook friend to observe, "Every gas station and fast food place is full with lines to the road in Staunton. Must be the power outage in Waynesboro and parts of the county."

Updates: From Dominion Virginia Power at 11:30 a.m. and 12:25 p.m.

Update: Power begins returning to Shenandoah Valley locations (Fishersville, Stuarts Draft, Crimora, Waynesboro, others)