Author: Tim Regan

Major Roads Passable as County Enters ‘Phase 3’ of Snow Removal

By Tim Regan

snow plow jan. 24(Updated at 8:40 a.m.) Primary roads across Arlington County have been plowed and are at least somewhat clear of snow, the county announced last night.

The county has begun “phase three” of its snow removal process, during which workers will clear snow-covered neighborhood streets. Crews may take until Tuesday night to reach every street, the county said.

Though some major roads remain treacherous due to patches of ice, most traffic across the area appeared to be light or moderate with no major backups or road closures reported as of 8 a.m. this morning.

Want to know which streets are clear? Arlington’s snow plow map keeps track of where road crews have and haven’t been. And starting at noon today, residents can use the county’s snow reporting form to “identify snow issues that need attention.” Residents can also report issues by calling the streets hotline at 703-228-6485.

Metro Returning With Free Partial Service Tomorrow

By Tim Regan

Metro riders heading to work (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)Metro today announced it will reopen its stations for limited — but free — Metrorail and Metrobus service tomorrow.

Red, Orange and Green line trains only will run between 7 a.m. tomorrow and midnight.

Service on these lines will be limited to underground stops and trains will run every 20-25 minutes, Metro said.

Orange Line trains will run between Ballston and Eastern Market, Red Line trains will run between Medical Center and Union Station and Green Line trains will run between Fort Totten and Anacostia.

Buses will operate every 30 minutes on just 22 routes between 12 and 5 p.m. tomorrow. According to Metro, “many of these routes will operate on snow emergency routes only to keep vehicles off hilly terrain, narrow side streets and other problem areas.”

The following bus routes will have service tomorrow:

  • D.C.: 32, 33, 36, 53, 70, 90, A6, A8, P12, S4, U8, X2
  • Maryland: C4, D12, K6, Q2, V4, Y2, Z8
  • Virginia: 16A, 16E, 28A

County Government Offices Closed Tomorrow, APS Closed Through Tuesday

By Tim Regan

snow plow jan. 24 2(Updated at 2:14 p.m.) Arlington County government offices and Arlington County Public Schools will be closed tomorrow due to anticipated road conditions.

Libraries across the Arlington area will also be closed tomorrow.

APS students will not have classes on Monday and Tuesday. Though school offices are closed tomorrow, the school has not yet said whether the offices would be closed on Tuesday.

Monday’s trash and recycling pickup is also cancelled tomorrow and Tuesday. Monday and Tuesday Service will resume on Feb. 1 and Feb. 2.

The county is currently in phase two of its snow removal process.

Photo of snow plow from earlier this morning

Watch ‘Snowzilla’ Blanket Arlington in Time-Lapse Videos

By Tim Regan

Want to relive the snowstorm? Two new time-lapse videos from ARLNow readers show the effects of “Snowzilla” as it blanketed the area this weekend.

Another video that Youtube user Josh Wagner shot from his apartment in Pentagon City shows the monster storm’s progression between Friday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 8 a.m.

Got a video you’d like to share? Tweet at us or send us an e-mail.

VDOT Urges Drivers to Stay Put Amid Snow Removal

By Tim Regan

I66 29Though the snow has stopped falling, Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) says plenty of work must be done to dig out area roads.

Although VDOT says most interstates and primary routes in “minor to moderate condition,” many side roads are still completely covered in snow and ice.

“Even though the snow has stopped and dry weather is on the horizon, snow removal will be very extensive through the week,” VDOT said in a statement released earlier this morning.

VDOT urges drivers to “stay off roads to give crews space to clear snow and ice.”

Image via VDOT traffic camera

UPDATED: Power Restored After Hundreds Report Outage in North Arlington

By Tim Regan

Power outage N Arlington(Updated at 8:50 p.m.) Hundreds of Dominion customers were without power in the northern part Arlington County earlier this evening.

Power returned to the area around 8:45 p.m., according to Dominion’s power outage map.

Tonight’s snowstorm caused the outage, the power company said.

Other readers had previously reported flickering power in Courthouse.

National Guard Rescues Stranded Fire Truck Near Courthouse

By Tim Regan

What happens when a fire truck gets stuck in the snow? They call in the Virginia National Guard.

A Virginia National Guard “tank hauler” recovery vehicle towed a fire engine that was stuck in the snow on the 1200 block of North Veitch Street around 3 p.m. this afternoon.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe called 535 National Guard personnel to active duty when he declared a state of emergency ahead of the snowstorm on Thursday.

According to scanner traffic, several emergency vehicles have asked for help digging out of the snow throughout the afternoon.

Snow Much Fun: How Arlington Braved the Blizzard to Play

By Tim Regan

Snow fun on Jan. 23

Despite heavy snowfall and gusty winds, lots of locals managed to leave the house and have fun today.

From urban skiing to makeshift luges, here’s how some Arlington residents found a way to play:

Do anything fun today? What do you see out there? We want to hear from you. Tweet at us or send us an e-mail. We will provide live updates as the storm progresses today.

Arlington Wakes Up to Foot of Snow and Counting

By Tim Regan

Cars stuck in snow on Wilson blvd

More than a foot of snow has already fallen across the Arlington area, according to the National Weather Service. And it’s only going to get worse.

Wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour, whiteout conditions and up to another foot of snowfall are possible through late tonight, says the Capital Weather Gang.

According to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), most roads throughout the area are in “moderate to severe” condition, meaning that a layer of snow or ice partially or fully covers the roadway. VDOT added that workers in Northern Virginia will attempt to clear interstates, high-volume roads and subdivisions throughout the day.

Residents are being strongly urged to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. Most seem to be heeding the advice, as traffic is nearly nonexistent even on normally busy roads in Ballston. Still, some people are making a go of it, despite VDOT’s advice. A pair of drivers were observed struggling to climb a hill on Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn around 7:30 a.m. this morning.

Though the snowy conditions thwarted drivers across the area, Dominion has not reported any widespread power outages throughout the area since the blizzard began.

Here’s what some other ARLNow readers reported on Twitter throughout the night and early this morning:

What are you seeing out there? We want to hear from you. Tweet at us or send us an e-mail. We will provide live updates as the storm progresses today.

Road Conditions Worsen as Blizzard Arrives

By Tim Regan
1/4

Don’t drive.

That’s the message from Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) as a possibly record-breaking blizzard looms over the area. Most roads in Arlington were at least partially snow-covered as of 4:50 p.m. this afternoon, and conditions are only getting worse as the snow piles up.

So far, locals seem to be heeding VDOT’s advice. As of 4:30 p.m. today, there were 19 crashes and 60 disabled vehicles reported by the department among Prince William, Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax counties since midnight last night.

But the full brunt of the storm has not arrived yet, according to the Capital Weather Gang. Conditions are expected to worsen overnight and into tomorrow morning as snowfall becomes heavier and winds pick up.

Naked Man Rescued From Cold Near Pentagon Row

By Tim Regan

Nude man on Army Navy DriveA man startled some locals when he was seen walking naked along a street near Pentagon Row yesterday afternoon.

Drivers spotted the man at the intersection of Army Navy Drive and Joyce Street around 1:30 p.m. yesterday, according to police. Authorities initially received a call for a “naked male walking in cold weather talking to himself,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Temperatures hovered close to freezing throughout the day yesterday.

An officer who arrived on the scene determined that the man was “in need of mental health treatment,” and the man was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for help.

Photo by an Arlington resident

View More Stories