CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The weekend’s winter snow and ice storms have impacted blood supplies in the area, prompting the American Red Cross to schedule emergency blood drives this week, including one Tuesday in Charlottesville.

Blood drives locally and across the nation have been canceled or impacted, “creating a very challenging environment for collecting blood. And, as a result, a tough environment for our hospital partners to deliver lifesaving care,” American Red Cross communications director Jonathan McNamara told Cville Right Now on Tuesday.

Over three days of the winter storm, about 200 blood drives nationwide have been canceled, meaning 7,000 fewer blood and platelet donations were collected, McNamara said.

In this area alone, nine blood drives were impacted by the weather, costing the organization an approximated 261 units of blood.

Blood supply levels were already being impacted by winter weather in December, when 400 drives were impacted nationally. Adding to the issue locally, the Red Cross brings in blood to hospitals, including UVA Health, from drives across the nation. So the widespread nature of this weekend’s snow and ice cut into that supply, as well.

“We are concerned that additional winter weather here in Virginia and in other parts of the country could make severe shortages even worse,” McNamara said.

Tuesday, the Red Cross is holding an emergency blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital’s Kessler Conference Center.