Weather

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Flash Flood Warning Issued

By ARLnow.com

Flooded Four Mile Run (photo courtesy @gogogaryo)A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for Arlington and much of the rest of the D.C. region. The National Weather Service warns that nearly 3 inches of rain has fallen already today and more heavy rainfall is on the way.

Standing water on roadways has created some dangerous driving conditions in Arlington, and swollen local waterways like Four Mile Run are starting to resemble “class three rapids,” but otherwise few serious problems have been reported around the county so far.

It’s a different story elsewhere in the region. In Montgomery County, cars and their drivers are getting trapped in high standing water.

From the National Weather Service:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING…

* UNTIL 415 PM EDT

* AT 117 PM EDT… NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING. UP TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THE LAST 24 HOURS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 1 INCH CAN BE EXPECTED.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE HEAVY RAIN INCLUDE ANNANDALE… ARLINGTON… BALLSTON… BULL RUN… BURKE… CENTREVILLE… CHANTILLY… DALE CITY… GREAT FALLS… HERNDON… LAKE BARCROFT… LAKE RIDGE… LINCOLNIA… MCLEAN… MERRIFIELD… OAKTON… RESTON… ROSSLYN… SPRINGFIELD… THE I395 AND I495 INTERCHANGE… THE I66 AND I495 INTERCHANGE… TYSONS CORNER… VIENNA… WOLF TRAP… BETHESDA… CHEVY CHASE… POTOMAC… TAKOMA PARK… THE AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE… ADAMS MORGAN… AMERICAN UNIVERSITY… GEORGETOWN… MANTUA AND PIMMIT HILLS.

MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. FLOODWATER USUALLY IS DEEPER THAN IT APPEARS. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. MAKE THE SMART CHOICE WHEN FLOODED ROADS ARE ENCOUNTERED… TURN AROUND… DONT DROWN.

Photo courtesy @gogogaryo

Arlington Under Flood Warning

By ARLnow.com

Arlington and the rest of the D.C. area is now under a Flood Warning.

The National Weather Service says urban areas and streams are in danger of flooding as heavy rain continues to fall. Already parts of Old Town Alexandria have flooded and some streams in Arlington are overflowing their banks.

From NWS:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS…

* UNTIL 300 PM EDT

* AT 903 AM EDT… RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAIN OF UP TO ONE INCH HAD FALLEN IN THE METRO AREA IN THE LAST TWO HOURS. SIMILAR RAINFALL RATES ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS… WHICH WILL CAUSE STREAMS TO RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS AND CAUSE FLOODING IN URBAN AREAS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED. STREAM RISES WILL BE SLOW. HOWEVER… ALL INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS IMMEDIATELY.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS MAKE THE SMART CHOICE… TURN AROUND… DONT DROWN.

Flood Watch Issued, 3-5 Inches of Rain Expected

By ARLnow.com

A flash flood watch has been issued for Arlington County and the surrounding D.C. metro area.

Forecasters expect 3-5 inches of rain to fall between now and Thursday as a storm system soaks the region for much of the week. The deluge may cause local creeks, streams and low-lying areas to flood. From the National Weather Service:

… FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF MARYLAND… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND VIRGINIA… INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS… IN MARYLAND… ANNE ARUNDEL… CALVERT… CARROLL… CHARLES… HARFORD… HOWARD… MONTGOMERY… BALTIMORE… PRINCE GEORGES… AND ST. MARYS. IN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA… FAIRFAX… KING GEORGE… PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK… SOUTHERN FAUQUIER… SPOTSYLVANIA AND STAFFORD… AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

* FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT

* RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT… WITH THE HEAVIEST RAIN EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN 3 AND 5 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS LIKELY.

* HEAVY AMOUNTS OF RAIN IN SHORT PERIODS OF TIME MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF CREEKS… STREAMS AND URBAN AREAS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. RAPIDLY MOVING WATER IS POWERFUL AND CAN BE A THREAT TO VEHICLES AS WELL AS PEOPLE AND PROPERTY.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD WARNINGS BE ISSUED. A WARNING WOULD MEAN THAT WE HAVE MOVED FROM THE POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING TO A FLOODING SITUATION IN A SPECIFIC AREA.

Freeze Warning Issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Dark clouds over Pentagon City at 1:15 p.m. on 4/15/14

Temperatures are expected to fall throughout the day and drop below freezing tonight, prompting forecasters to issue a freeze warning.

The freeze warning is in effect for Arlington and the rest of the D.C. area until 9:00 tomorrow morning. Periods of rain and perhaps even a brief bout of snow is expected between now and then, as a cold front passes through the area.

From the National Weather Service:

… FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM EDT WEDNESDAY…

* TEMPERATURES… LOWS AROUND 30 DEGREES.

* TIMING… OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS… UNPROTECTED COLD-SENSITIVE VEGETATION WILL BE KILLED OR DAMAGED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL SENSITIVE CROPS AND OTHER VEGETATION. THIS IS EXCEPTIONALLY COLD AIR FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT ANY OF YOUR IMPORTANT SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

Snow Causing Flight Delays at DCA

By ARLnow.com

Snow in Rosslyn on 3/25/14About 1-2 inches of snow has fallen on Arlington so far this morning, accumulating mostly on grassy surfaces and melting on the roads.

The light snow has, however, caused some flight delays at Reagan National Airport.

Inbound flights are being delayed an average of 52 minutes at their origin, according to Flight Aware. Departure delays are averaging about 45 minutes.

Few other snow-related problems have been reported in Arlington. The National Weather Service, meanwhile, has upped its predicted snow total a bit.

… WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING…

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS… 2 TO 4 INCHES.

* TIMING… SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY EVENING. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED LATE THIS MORNING INTO THE MID AFTERNOON.

* TEMPERATURES… AROUND 30 THIS MORNING… RISING INTO THE LOWER TO MID 30S THIS AFTERNOON.

* WINDS… SOUTHEAST 5 TO 10 MPH… BECOMING NORTH 10 TO 15 MPH THIS EVENING.

* IMPACTS… ROADS WILL BE SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY IN SOME AREAS THIS MORNING. MOST SURFACES WILL BECOME WET AND SLUSHY THIS AFTERNOON WITH TEMPERATURES RISING ABOVE FREEZING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES… AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

St. Paddy’s Day Snow Shuts Down Gov’t, Schools

By ARLnow.com

Snow 3/3/14 (file photo)Update at 12:30 p.m. — ART service says it is resuming full service for the afternoon rush hour.

Update at 9:35 a.m. — Runways have reopened at Reagan National Airport. Metro says it will resume normal Metrobus service at 11:00 a.m.

A late season snow storm has shut down the federal government as well as all Arlington County schools, government offices, courts and facilities.

Arlington Public Schools says its schools and offices are closed today, and all “extracurricular activities, interscholastic contests, team practices, field trips, adult and community education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled.”

Arlington County government, meanwhile, has closed, citing “treacherous travel conditions.” About 7-8 inches of snow fell on parts of Arlington. The Dept. of Environmental Services says its snow clearing effort is currently in Phase 2 — plowing primary and secondary roads while side roads remain snow-covered.

“If possible, stay off the roads while snow removal efforts continue throughout the day,” the county government said.

ART buses are operating at Severe Service levels on routes 41,42, 45, 51, 77 and 87. All other routes are canceled.

“Service will be added mid-day as conditions permit,” ART reported. Metrobuses are running on major roads only, also on the agency’s severe snow plan. Metrorail is operating at near-normal service levels.

Runways at Reagan National Airport are closed as crews work to reopen the airport to arriving and departing flights.

File photo

Arlington Braces for Another Snow Storm

By ARLnow.com

Snow 3/3/14

Arlington and the rest of the D.C. region will be waking up to a white St. Patrick’s Day.

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for the region. The National Weather Service says 4-8 inches of snow is possible, with most of the flakes falling overnight. The Capital Weather Gang, however, predicts that much of Arlington and the District will only see 1-3 inches.

From the NWS:

… WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 2 PM EDT MONDAY…

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW

* ACCUMULATIONS… 4 TO 8 INCHES.

* TIMING… A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW EARLY THIS EVENING WILL CHANGE TO ALL SNOW BY MID EVENING. SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON MONDAY. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING.

* TEMPERATURES… FALLING INTO THE LOWER 30S BY MID EVENING AND THEN DROPPING INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 20S LATE TONIGHT. HIGHS MONDAY IN THE LOWER 30S.

* WINDS… NORTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH.

* IMPACTS… ROADS WILL BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY. TRAVEL WILL BE DANGEROUS… ESPECIALLY TONIGHT THROUGH THE MORNING RUSH ON MONDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL… KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT… FOOD… AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

The Virginia Department of Transportation, meanwhile, is planning to deploy more than 2,000 snow removal trucks in Northern Virginia. From VDOT:

The Virginia Department of Transportation is preparing for another potential winter storm tonight, and advises drivers to stay off roads during freezing rain and snow expected through tomorrow morning.

Crews will mobilize by 6 p.m. today, and by midnight more than 2,000 trucks will be staged along interstates, major roads and neighborhood streets in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington counties.

Info for northern Virginia drivers and residents:

  • Drivers are strongly advised to stay home during the storm, overnight tonight and into Monday morning.
  • Crews will plow and treat interstates, major roads and neighborhoods concurrently.
  • Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William residents can enter their address at www.vdotplows.org to see the status of plowing in their neighborhood.
  • Park in your driveway or on the odd-numbered side of the street to allow plows room to pass.
  • When shoveling, leave the last few feet at the curb until the street is plowed, as the truck will push some snow back. Shovel to the right facing the road.
  • Chemicals are not used in subdivisions, but crews sand hills, curves and intersections to provide traction. For most storms, one snowplow pass, about eight to ten feet wide, is made.

UPDATE: High Wind Advisory, Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued

By ARLnow.com

Update at 5:05 p.m. — A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Arlington and the surrounding D.C. region through 10:00 tonight.

The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for tonight and Thursday morning.

The wind warning comes as this afternoon’s nearly 70 degree temperatures give way to a cold front that will drop the mercury into the 20s. Forecasters say thunderstorms and wind gusts of up to 55 miles per hour — which may damage trees and power lines– are possible. From NWS:

… WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM EDT THURSDAY…

* TIMING… WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.

* WINDS… NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH.

* IMPACTS… SCATTERED TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE. DIFFICULTY DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. SECURE OUTDOOR FURNITURE AND TAKE CARE DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.

The NWS has also issued a Fire Weather Watch:

…FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR THE POTENTIAL OF RAPID WILDFIRE GROWTH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

* HUMIDITY…20 TO 25 PERCENT.

* WINDS…NORTHWEST 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* FUEL MOISTURE…LESS THAN 10 PERCENT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE RED FLAG WARNINGS.

Tornado Safety Drill Planned Tuesday

By Ethan Rothstein

Tornado (Photo courtesy NOAA via Wikipedia)The Arlington Office of Emergency Management is asking all residents and office workers in Arlington to participate in a statewide tornado safety drill tomorrow morning.

The drill will take place at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday. Participants are asked to “go low and stay low” by going to the lowest level of the building they are in, staying away from windows and doors, and crouching down and covering their heads, according to OEM.

Those with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radios will get a test alert at 9:45, notifying them that the drill has begun.

The full press release from OEM, after the jump.

Photo courtesy NOAA via Wikipedia

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Photos: March Snow Storm Blankets Arlington

By ARLnow.com
1/18

Sidewalks and roads in many parts of Arlington are still covered with snow Monday afternoon, even though the flakes stopped falling around 2:00 p.m. But that hasn’t stopped plenty of folks in Arlington from venturing outdoors to enjoy the winter wonderland.

Temperatures are expected to continue to plummet into the single digits tonight, so any snow left on roads and sidewalks could turn into a slippery, icy mess.

Despite the big snowfall, few in Arlington are reporting power outages. According to Dominion’s outage map, as of 3:20 p.m., only 19 customers in Arlington were without power.

Snow Removal in Full Swing, Mardi Gras Parade Postponed

By ARLnow.com

Snow 3/3/14(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) The snow has largely stopped falling but crews in Arlington will be busy clearing it from roads and sidewalks well into Tuesday.

About 4-6 inches of snow fell in Arlington, barely meeting the low end of the National Weather Service’s forecast. But the snowfall still managed to cause plenty of problems around town.

The local Virginia State Police barracks reported a total of 111 crashes, 84 disabled vehicles and 372 calls for service as of 3:00 p.m. That’s on top of numerous accidents reported on local Arlington County streets.

ART and Metro bus service has been suspended for the day, but is expected to resume tomorrow. Trash collection service was also canceled in Arlington today. Flights resumed at Reagan National Airport around 3:00 p.m., after arrivals and departures had been suspended for most of the day due to snow-covered runways. Some 360 flights were canceled at the airport today.

Snow 3/3/14Snow removal crews in Arlington are currently in a “Phase 2 Alert” — clearing only primary and arterial roads. Contract snow crews are expected to start using dump trucks to clear snow from Arlington’s Metro corridors starting at 6:00 p.m. tonight. Arlington Parks and Recreation crews, meanwhile, are clearing the sidewalks in front of county facilities.

Arlington’s emergency winter homeless shelter in Courthouse is open all day today due to the snow.

The snow has claimed at least one major event casualty. The Clarendon Alliance has postponed its annual Mardi Gras parade, which was scheduled for Tuesday evening.

“The Clarendon Alliance is announcing that the 2014 Mardi Gras Parade is being postponed, due to snow and ice along the parade route,” Clarendon Alliance executive director Matt Hussman said in an email. “We intend to reschedule the parade as soon as possible — possibly around St. Patrick’s Day… but we need to consult with County officials before we can announce the new date.”

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