Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. Started by a Pentagon City resident who has spent the past several years working in local TV news, ARLnow.com seeks to distinguish itself with original, enterprising, up-to-the-minute local coverage.
Frost advisories & freeze warnings have been issued across a large chunk of the forecast tonight into Tuesday morning. Low temps look to all between 31-37 degrees in most locations with sheltered valley locations falling into the 20s. Turning warmer midweek. #MDwx#VAwx#WVwxpic.twitter.com/KOpeUsYfxK
Winter 2023-2024 precipitation outlook (via National Weather Service)
Winter 2023-2024 temperature outlook (via National Weather Service)
Snowy Clarendon in January 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Long-range weather outlooks are predicting an overall milder winter with more precipitation — which may or may not include more snow.
The National Weather Service and Old Farmer’s Almanac recently released their winter outlooks and there’s hope for Arlington snow lovers — though another rainy, snow-starved winter remains a possibility.
NWS is predicting above average precipitation and above average temperatures for the D.C. area., though the confidence for both is below 50%.
The Farmer’s Almanac, meanwhile, agrees that it will be an overall milder winter, but thinks that a colder start to 2024 will bring more snow than usual. From its Atlantic Corridor forecast:
Winter precipitation and snowfall will be above normal (2 to 3 inches above monthly averages). The snowiest periods will occur at the end of December, late January, and mid-February. We don’t expect a white Christmas. […]
Winter temperatures will be above normal overall. Specifically, December is slightly above average temps; temperatures for January and February are below average. The coldest spell will run from late January into mid-February.
Making the forecast tricky for meteorologists is the expected presence of El Niño, the atmospheric phenomenon linked to warm ocean temperatures in the Pacific.
The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang notes that while some El Niño winters end up as snow busts, others bring blizzards.
One recent forecast called for the current El Niño to become a “super” El Niño this winter. Super El Niños are those that produce the most intense ocean warming and often the most extreme weather impacts worldwide.
“Washington’s least snowy winters — 1997-1998 and 1972-1973 — both came during super El Niños,” added Capital Weather Gang’s Ian Livingston. “A similar strength event in 2015-2016 was mainly snowless, but punctuated by a historic blizzard in January.”
After a weak season for snow last year — and below-average snowfall six of the past seven years — ARLnow readers say they’re ready for a winter wonderland. Some 62% of respondents to our poll last month said “bring on the snow” when asked about the prospect of a big winter storm.
The Capital Weather Gang and local TV stations typically release their Washington winter outlooks around mid-November.
Jet trails above homes in the Ballston area (staff photo)
Lawsuit Over Murder Charge — “A Northern Virginia man who was acquitted of a charge that he hired a career criminal to kill his fiancée in 1998 has sued the lead homicide detective in the case, alleging that she lied to a grand jury to obtain an indictment… The lawsuit is the latest twist in the case of Andrea Cincotta, a popular public librarian in Arlington County who was found strangled in August 1998 in her apartment.” [Washington Post]
Peak Fall Foliage Arriving — “Using historical weather reports, tree species info, and user data, travel brand SmokyMountains.com put together 2023 foliage prediction maps of the U.S. In the Mid-Atlantic, leaves change colors by October 23. The Mid-Atlantic will likely be past its peak fall colors by the end of November.” [Axios]
Where to See Local Foliage — “Did you know the capital area is called the ‘City of Trees’? Arlington in particular has an abundance of forested parks and vibrant tree-lined neighborhoods making it an ideal place to discover fall foliage. Here are 7 places to see beautiful fall colors.” [Arlington Convention and Visitors Service]
Hop-In Car Theft — From Dave Statter: “Camera shows thieves hopping into a 2018 Chevy Equinox on Crystal Drive around 1:15 p.m. A police lookout indicated the driver left the keys inside. The owner apparently ran after the car as it went south… It then passed an @ArlingtonVaPD car at 15th St. at 1:56 into the video (very likely before the theft was even dispatched to officers). It then continued to the I-395N express lanes into DC.” [Twitter]
Va. Home Market Slows — “According to the September 2023 Virginia Home Sales Report released by Virginia REALTORS®, there were 8,023 homes sold across the commonwealth last month. This is 2,149 fewer sales than last year, a drop of just over 21%. This is the slowest September market Virginia has had in more than a decade.” [Press Release]
Local Planning for U.S. 250th — “Planning for Arlington’s commemoration and celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday is about to kick off. The Arlington Historical Society, which has been designated by the county government as the coordinator for all the planning, will convene a brainstorming session Nov. 6 to start the process.” [Gazette Leader]
Crystal City Building for Sale — “The longtime owner of an aging office building in National Landing is looking to sell it, billing it in marketing materials as a ‘redevelopment opportunity’ with a ‘clear path to vacancy.’ Airport Plaza Office Building LP, of which D.C.’s Gould Property Co. is a general partner according to corporate filings,owns the 1980s-era, 144,000-square-foot office at 2711 Richmond Highway.” [Washington Business Journal]
ACFD Responds to Flipped in F.C. — On Thursday “units from the ACFD responded to a motor vehicle collision on W Broad St in the City of Falls Church. Units quickly arrived on scene, stabilized the vehicle and extricated the occupant. One patient was transported to an area hospital with NLT injuries.” [Twitter]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies and a high of around 63 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at 8 to 13 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. Monday night will be mostly clear, with the temperature dropping to around 40 degrees. [Weather.gov]
Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 65 and breezy conditions as west winds reach 10-15 mph, increasing to 17-22 mph in the afternoon, with gusts up to 33 mph. On Saturday night, showers are likely after 5am, with a low around 49 and lighter west wind at 5-8 mph. Precipitation chances stand at 60%, with new amounts under a tenth of an inch possible. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
ACFD on scene of carbon monoxide incident at Stratton House condos (staff photo by James Jarvis)
ACFD on scene of carbon monoxide incident at Stratton House condos (staff photo by James Jarvis)
ACFD on scene of carbon monoxide incident at Stratton House condos (staff photo by James Jarvis)
ACFD on scene of carbon monoxide incident at Stratton House condos (staff photo by James Jarvis)
ACFD on scene of carbon monoxide incident at Stratton House condos (staff photo by James Jarvis)
ACFD on scene of carbon monoxide incident at Stratton House condos (staff photo by James Jarvis)
ACFD on scene of carbon monoxide incident at Stratton House condos (staff photo by James Jarvis)
ACFD on scene of carbon monoxide incident at Stratton House condos (staff photo by James Jarvis)
ACFD on scene of carbon monoxide incident at Stratton House condos (staff photo by James Jarvis)
ACFD on scene of carbon monoxide incident at Stratton House condos (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A large fire department response is on scene at the Stratton House condominiums due to a reported carbon monoxide incident.
Initial reports suggest that carbon monoxide alarms in one of the complex’s two buildings started going off after the building’s heat was turned on for the first time today. Firefighters are investigating the source, with a focus on the boiler room.
The complex is located along 5th Street S. in the Alcova Heights neighborhood — near Fire Station No. 1 and across S. Glebe Road from Ruthie’s All-Day restaurant.
An Arlington County Fire Department spokesman told ARLnow this is “still an active incident right now.”
“Crews arrived and found elevated readings of CO and began to work to locate and isolate the source,” said Capt. Nathaniel Hiner. “Units are ventilating the structure now and are working with Washington Gas. No reports of anyone requiring medical attention.”
In addition to investigating and ventilating, firefighters have been going door-to-door checking on residents and encouraging them to leave the building.
Running at Long Bridge Park on a cloudy fall day (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington Visit for First Lady — First Lady Jill Biden is set to deliver remarks at the 2023 PFLAG National Convention at a hotel in Pentagon City this afternoon, according to guidance from the White House. The LGBTQ+ organization’s event is sold out.
AWLA Asks for Help — “Today we only have two open dog kennels. The rest are full. We are desperately in need of families to give our dogs a break from the kennel and make room for more dogs coming into our care.” [Twitter]
Restaurant Week Wrapping Up — Arlington Restaurant Week will continue through the weekend. Restaurant Week deals at nearly 50 local restaurants end on Monday, Oct. 23. [ARLnow]
Crystal City Curbs Questioned — “These sidewalk ‘improvements’ have only been at 12th and Eads for about a week, but I’ve seen so many folks trip or stumble over them. The random curb in the middle of the sidewalk is really something else.” [Twitter]
Election Official Departing — “Serving as the No. 2 staffer in the Arlington Office of Elections long has been a launch pad for those who occupied it. You can now add Tate Fall to the list. Fall, currently deputy director of elections for Arlington, has been appointed elections director of Cobb County, Ga. She will start in early December.” [Gazette Leader]
Nightly Pentagon Police Ritual — “Pentagon Police officers raise the U.S. Flag each morning outside the Pentagon in honor of our great Nation. The @POW/MIA flag is also raised and displayed directly below the U.S. Flag as a powerful symbol of our national commitment to those Americans who were Prisoners of War/Missing in Action.” [Twitter]
It’s Friday — Expect showers later in the afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 69. The south wind will be blowing at 8 to 11 mph, and may gust up to 18 mph. The chance of precipitation is 50%. For Friday night, there is a possibility of showers and thunderstorms, a mostly cloudy sky, and a low around 51. [Weather.gov]
A Muslim group’s planned banquet in Arlington has been cancelled after it says the hotel received “multiple terror threats.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was scheduled to hold its 29th annual banquet Saturday night at the Crystal Gateway Marriott at 1700 Richmond Highway.
“CAIR has hosted banquets there annually for over ten years,” the group said tonight (Thursday) in a press release. “In recent days, according to the Marriott, anonymous callers have threatened to plant bombs in the hotel’s parking garage, kill specific hotel staff in their homes, and storm the hotel in a repeat of the Jan. 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol if the events moved forward.”
“Law enforcement authorities and the FBI have been notified of the terror threats. The FBI has confirmed to CAIR that it is investigating the reported threats,” the press release continued. “The terror threats came after CAIR updated its original banquet programming to focus on the work needed to support basic Palestinian human rights.”
CAIR says it “plans to proceed with [the] banquet at an alternate secure location with heightened security.” A separate banquet planned for Oct. 28 in Maryland “will also be cancelled as a precaution and merged into the Oct. 21st event.”
The banquets were billed as “a night of solidarity with Palestine,” amid the Israel-Hamas war.
“We strongly condemn the extreme and disgusting threats against our organization, the Marriott hotel and its staff,” CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement. “We will not allow the threats of anti-Palestinian racists and anti-Muslim bigots who seek to dehumanize the Palestinian people and silence American Muslims to stop us from pursuing justice for all.”
“We ask all those who value free speech, human rights and justice to support CAIR’s work today to show hateful extremists that they will not succeed in silencing us and will only make our voices stronger, God willing,” Awad added.
An Arlington-based conservative media outlet wrote Tuesday that the banquet was “generating concerns among pro-Israel advocates, who say the hotel chain has a responsibility to stop its venues from being used to foment anti-Israel fervor.”
The United States has seen heightened incidents of bigotry and violence against Muslims and Jews since the war’s outbreak, which started with a surprise Hamas attack that killed more than 1,000 in Israel. The Israeli airstrikes since then have killed several thousand in Gaza, Palestinian authorities say.
Among the incidents was the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in Illinois. He was buried Monday after, authorities say, he was stabbed to death by a landlord who was “obsessed with the war between Hamas and Israel.”
Here in Arlington, real estate is a spectator sport. Let’s take a look at some of the most and least expensive townhouses sold last month (September 2023).
This sweet girl should be named love bug, super snuggler, sweetie pie… she is such a love!
If you are ready to both give and receive a lot of love, this kitty is for you. She is on your lap, snuggling in your neck, licking your earlobe or nose or eyebrow, curled up next to you, and following you around.
Loves to be pet on her head, chin, chest and down her back. She even likes her cute little black pads to be rubbed. Only her belly is super sensitive.
Have you found a new companion in Jill? Read her entire profile to learn more and don’t forget to schedule a virtual meet & greet!
Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with 2-3 paragraphs about your pet and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos.
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
A 43-year-old Arlington man is in jail after an overnight barricade situation in the Buckingham neighborhood.
The incident started around 12:30 a.m. with what was reported as a woman’s ex-boyfriend kicking down her door and confronting her and her current boyfriend with a knife.
DOMESTIC-RELATED HOME INVASION WITH INJURY AND MANHUNT— 4200 blk 2nd Rd North in Arlington. Caller's ex-boyfriend kicked in the door and attacked the caller and new boyfriend with a knife. Fairfax Co helicopter was assisting with the search. @ARLnowDOTcompic.twitter.com/8bBiA7x0eL
The suspect then returned to his home nearby, leading to a barricade situation that eventually ended peacefully after negotiations with police, according to the Arlington County Police Department.
The Arlington County Police Department is announcing the arrest of a suspect following an early morning barricade in the Buckingham neighborhood. Jermaine Chambers, 43, of Arlington, VA is charged with Attempted Malicious Wounding, Burglary with Intent to Commit Assault and Assault & Battery (x2). He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
At approximately 12:23 a.m. on October 19, police were dispatched to the 4200 block of 2nd Road N. for the report of a possible assault with a weapon. Upon arrival, it was determined the known male suspect forced entry into the victim’s residence, brandished a knife, threatened and physically assaulted the female and male victims before fleeing the residence on foot. The male victim was treated on scene by medics for injuries considered non-life threatening. The female victim did not require medical treatment.
Officers searched the area for the suspect with the assistance of Fairfax County Police Department’s helicopter and determined he had returned to his residence in the 200 block of N. Thomas Street. Officers established a perimeter, made telephone contact and initiated negotiations with the suspect who refused to exit his residence and remained barricaded inside. Members of the Department’s Emergency Response Team responded to the scene, continued negotiations with the suspect and eventually took him into custody without incident.
This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip line at [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Ballston as dark clouds move into the area (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Square Foot Cost Slips — “From Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, the average price per square foot for Arlington residential sales was $472. That’s down 1.9 percent from $481 during the same stretch in 2022. Throughout the metro area, Arlington was only surpassed in the ranking by the District of Columbia, whose average $527 cost per square foot was down 4.4 percent from a year before.” [Gazette Leader]
Cost of Local Homeownership — “The Q3 median cost of a single-family home was $739,900 in Arlington. To afford that, average wage earners would have to make at least $113,633 and be positioned to spend 46.2 percent of their annual pay on their mortgages. The report also shows a 7.8 percent year-over-year increase in median home sale prices in Arlington.” [Patch]
Plan’s Affordable Housing Questioned — “The draft plan Arlington County officials are reviewing includes recommendations for where, and how, to build affordable housing along Langston Boulevard, with a goal of making it happen by 2075. You read that right: 2075! Trekkies will note that the year 2075 is twelve years after Earth makes first contact with aliens from another world.” [Greater Greater Washington]
Halls Hill and Langston Blvd Plan — “Wilma Jones, President of the John M. Langston Citizens Association, sat down with Jo DeVoe to discuss Plan Langston Boulevard, community history, and historic preservation efforts in the Halls Hill neighborhood.” [Apple Podcasts]
Next Week: Drug Take-Back Day — “The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) fall National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will take place on Saturday, October 28, 2023. This dedicated day is an opportune time for community members to take advantage of free, convenient and confidential medication disposal at one of Arlington County’s four permanent drug take-back boxes.” [ACPD]
Tourney Win for Softball Team — “With late-inning comebacks in semifinal and championship games, the Arlington Sage won the recent 14-and-under B Division of the Madison Small Memorial girls softball tournament in Sterling. The tourney was reduced to one day because of weather issues. The Sage finished 6-0 in their 15-team age division.” [Gazette Leader]
Funding for Local Health Startup — “An Arlington heart health startup has raised $8 million to bring its virtual home care to more value-based care provider groups and payers… Ventricle Health provides its members with access to a network of 2,000 cardiologists — members can book appointments to be seen virtually in as little as three days.” [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Thursday — Expect partly sunny skies with highs around 69 degrees and south winds ranging from 6 to 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. As for Thursday night, it will be cloudy with lows near 55 degrees accompanied by south winds blowing at 7 to 9 mph. [Weather.gov]
