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Wind Advisory Issued As Schools Open on Two Hour Delay

By ARLnow.com

Frigid, icy conditions have prompted Arlington Public Schools to open on a two-hour delay today.

From APS:

All APS schools and offices will open two hours late today. The Extended Day program will also open two hours late and morning field trips are canceled. Essential employees and food service workers should report to work at their regularly scheduled time. All other employees should report to work two hours past their usual start time. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

Arlington County government and the federal government, meanwhile, are opening on time. Metrorail and Metrobus, likewise, were operating on a normal weekday schedule as of 5 a.m. Certain Arlington County Parks and Rec programs, however, have been cancelled or delayed.

From the parks department:

  • All Congregate Meal Programs are cancelled for the day.
  • All Early Childhood Programs (Preschool and Co-op) are cancelled.
  • All Enjoy Arlington Classes, 55+ classes, Trips, Nature Center Programs and sports league activities with a scheduled start time prior to 11:59 a.m. today are cancelled in all APS and DPR buildings.
  • All Enjoy Arlington Classes, 55+ classes, Trips, Nature Center Programs and sports league activities with a scheduled start time of Noon or later will proceed as scheduled.
  • All afternoon and evening Enjoy Arlington Classes, 55+ classes, Trips, Nature Center Programs and sports league activities will proceed as scheduled.
  • All community centers and senior centers locations will open on time as scheduled.

In addition to very cold temperatures, a Wind Advisory has been issued for Arlington and the D.C. region. Forecasters are warning of 45-50 mile per hour gusts which could blow down branches, trees and power lines.

From the National Weather Service:

… WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING. * TIMING… AFTER DAYBREAK THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. HIGHEST GUSTS EXPECTED LATE THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON. * WINDS… NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 45 TO 50 MPH. * IMPACTS… STRONG WINDS MAY BLOW DOWN LIMBS, TREES, AND POWER LINES. ICE AND SNOW COVERED LIMBS, TREES AND POWER LINES ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE. SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE EXPECTED. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. &&

VDOT Warns of Black Ice Overnight

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County snow plow in Fairlington 3/14/17

A refreeze overnight will turn what melted following this morning’s snow and sleet storm into a hazard on roads and sidewalks.

Despite efforts to plow and salt the streets, VDOT is warning that barely-visible black ice could cause accidents during the Wednesday morning commute.

Metro, meanwhile, says Metrobuses will start the day on a “moderate” snow service plan due to anticipated slippery conditions. Service will be upgraded “as conditions permit.”

More from VDOT:

Road conditions across northern Virginia are improving as Virginia Department of Transportation crews plowed and treated roads around the clock. This evening though, snow and slush that melted through the day will refreeze.

Overnight, crews will focus on retreating icy areas with salt and sand, clearing shoulders, ramps and drainage areas, and continue to make passes through neighborhood streets as needed.

Drivers should limit any unnecessary travel tonight to avoid black ice, and give crews room to make their rounds. Make plans now for a cautious Wednesday commute.

If you must drive this evening and tomorrow morning:

  • Stay focused and drive defensively.
  • Reduce speeds significantly. Give yourself more than enough time to get to where you’re going.
  • Brake gently to avoid skidding and hydroplaning.

County Government, Schools Closed Due to Icy Conditions

By ARLnow.com

Snow and sleet covered roads in Ballston 3/14/17A mix of sleet, snow and ice is making for slick driving conditions outside and has prompted the closure of Arlington Public Schools and government offices.

Local roads remain partially snow and slush covered, though traffic is very light. ART buses are operating on a “severe” service schedule, while Metrobuses are operating on a “moderate” snow plan. The Metrorail system is open and operating on a Saturday schedule.

APS announced just after 4 a.m. that it would be closed today.

All APS schools and offices will be closed today. Essential personnel should report to work at their scheduled time. All custodians report at 6 a.m. regardless of your regular shift. Extracurricular activities, interscholastic games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

Arlington County announced that it was closed for the day just after 5 a.m.

Arlington County government offices, programs, courts, & facilities are closed today, Tuesday, March 14, 2017. If possible, stay off the roads while snow and ice removal efforts continue throughout the day.

VDOT is asking drivers to stay off the roads if at all possible.

Crews and almost 4,500 pieces of equipment worked through the night and continue to treat roads with salt and sand, and to plow in areas where there is enough accumulation.

Interstates and primary roads have stretches of slush and ice as snow and sleet continue to accumulate between plow passes.

Secondary roads and neighborhood streets remain mostly snow-covered.

HOV restrictions are lifted this morning on I-66, I-395 and the Dulles Toll Road.

Drivers are advised to continue to stay off the roads. If you absolutely must go out this morning, reduce speeds, use extreme caution and be alert to icy and inclement conditions. Road temperatures are expected to remain below freezing all day with potential for continued refreeze.

Virginia State Police say they’re dealing with a number of crashes in Northern Virginia.

Virginia State Police are currently on the scene of 10 traffic crashes throughout Northern Virginia. Only two involve injuries – minor – and the remainder of them involve damage to vehicles. From midnight Tuesday through 7 a.m., Virginia State Police have responded to 15 traffic crashes – all of which involved damage to vehicles only and no injuries.

Motorists are reminded to give extra time for travel, slow their speed for conditions, not to tailgate – to provide additional stopping distance in slick conditions, and to always buckle up.

The federal government, meanwhile, will be opening today on a three-hour delay. From the Office of Personnel Management:

Federal agencies in the Washington, DC area are OPEN under 3 hours DELAYED ARRIVAL and employees have the OPTION FOR UNSCHEDULED LEAVE OR UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK. Employees should plan to arrive for work no more than 3 hours later than they would be expected to arrive.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sign on Military Road in Cherrydale (photo courtesy Becca Collins)

Icy Saturday Morning — Several crashes were reported around Arlington Saturday as freezing rain turned roads and sidewalks into sheets of ice. The slippery conditions lasted for most of the morning, before a warm-up started melting the ice around lunchtime. [Storify]

Wreaths Laid at ANC — Despite the icy weather, tens of thousands of volunteers helped to lay 245,000 wreaths on grave sites at Arlington National Cemetery Saturday morning. Arlington County Police assisted with crowd control for the annual Christmastime event. [WTOP, The Blaze, Twitter]

Students, School Board Speak Out on Boundary Changes — At last week’s Arlington School Board meeting, students spoke in opposition to high school boundary changes some see as furthering racial segregation. School Board members, however, defended their recent boundary change vote. [Washington Post, InsideNova, YouTube]

Borderstan Closes, Editor Coming to ARLnow — Borderstan, ARLnow.com’s sister site that covers the mid-city neighborhoods of D.C., is shutting down at the end of the week. One of its co-editors, Tim Regan, will be joining the ARLnow team in January. [Borderstan, Washingtonian]

Photo courtesy Becca Collins

Arlington Preps for Possible Wintry Mix Saturday Morning

By ARLnow.com

Forecasters are warning of a messy mix of wintry precipitation Saturday morning.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect starting at midnight tonight.

From the National Weather Service:

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM EST SATURDAY… * PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW… SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN. * ACCUMULATIONS… SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN A HALF-INCH… ALONG WITH AROUND A TENTH OF AN INCH OF GLAZE ICE. * TIMING… PERIODS OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT… THEN CHANGE TO FREEZING RAIN BEFORE DAWN SATURDAY MORNING. FREEZING RAIN WILL CHANGE TO RAIN AROUND MID-MORNING SATURDAY. * IMPACTS… HAZARDOUS TRAVEL IS EXPECTED DUE TO ICY ROADS AND WALKWAYS. * WINDS… SOUTH 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH. * TEMPERATURES… IN THE UPPER 20S LATER TONIGHT… RISING INTO THE 30S ON SATURDAY MORNING. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW… SLEET… OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES… AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. &&

Arlington County, meanwhile, says crews will be pre-treating roads ahead of the storm.

NWS Warns of Icy Conditions Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Melting snow in Rosslyn

After a relatively mild afternoon, there’s plenty of water on local roads and sidewalks from melting snow. That meltwater may refreeze as temperatures dip back below freezing tonight, forecasters are warning.

This afternoon the National Weather Service issued the a Special Weather Statement, warning of hazardous conditions overnight.

…ICY PATCHES WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS THIS EVENING…

TEMPERATURES WILL DROP WELL BELOW FREEZING BETWEEN 5 PM AND 8 PM THIS EVENING. THIS WILL CAUSE REFREEZING OF ANY WATER OR SLUSH…CREATING ICY CONDITIONS ON UNTREATED ROADS AND SIDEWALKS.

IF YOU ARE ON THE ROADS THIS EVENING…PLEASE USE EXTRA CAUTION AS ICY SPOTS WILL BE DIFFICULT TO SEE.

UPDATED: Icy Roads, Salt Shortage Making Travel Around Arlington Treacherous

By ARLnow.com

Car into tree due to icy conditions at 14th Street and N. Veitch Street (Photo courtesy @aklake34)(Updated at 1:00 p.m.) Icy roads are leading to numerous crashes and road closures this morning.

“We’ve already responded to several vehicle accidents this morning,” the Arlington County Fire Department said this morning via Twitter. “Please slow down and use caution.”

Among the accidents reported so far this morning are a car that slammed into a tree near the intersection of 14th Street and N. Veitch Street in Courthouse. The driver was “injured and in shock” after the accident, according to a witness. Another accident, in which a car slid and became stuck on the curb, has been reported at 2nd Street and S. Fillmore Street.

Police are considering shutting down the icy, treacherous hilly portion of 14th Street, where the car slid into a tree. N. Courthouse Road has reportedly been shut down at Route 50 due to similar icy conditions, as has 13th Street at N. Troy Street.

“We’re basically coning off the entire Courthouse area,” one police officer was overheard saying. “We’re running low on cones.”

Other reported problem spots include S. Buchanan Street and 9th Street, where several cars have been abandoned, and Wilson Blvd and N. Emerson Street. Even relatively flat portions of main roads are said to be treacherous.

ARLnow.com hears that Arlington is now “out of salt,” after officials said they were running low yesterday evening. We also hear that the county expects a fresh shipment of salt at noon, with the goal of road crews resuming road treatments at 1:00 p.m.

Just after  noon, Arlington County confirmed that more salt was on the way.

Arlington County will receive 2,000 additional tons of salt to help in clearing roads of snow and sleet. The first shipment will arrive today. The County previously received a mid-season resupply, but it was not enough due to the severity of this winter and stock supplies from the regional contractor nearing depletion.

Crews have been working around the clock to plow streets and have used salt conservatively, supplementing with sand. The County is currently clearing residential streets and will continue to do so for the remainder of the day and evening.

Residents should continue to expect hazardous travel conditions, particularly on side streets. Stay off the roads if possible. Cyclists should be extra cautious and on the lookout for accumulated sand on the roads.

Those driving aren’t the only ones experiencing travel woes this morning. The Blue, Orange and Silver lines experienced significant delays after an earlier train malfunction that prompted single-tracking between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom.

The single-tracking has ended, Metro said shortly before 9:00, but residual delays remain. Riders say platforms, particularly at Rosslyn, are crowded.

After the jump, a warning about icy roads today and later tonight from VDOT.

Photo (top) courtesy @aklake34

(more…)

Arlington Public Schools Closed Monday

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:10 a.m.) Arlington Public Schools announced just before 5:00 a.m. Monday that classes are canceled today.

While students have a day off, school office will open at noon.

From APS:

All APS Schools will be closed and offices will open at Noon. Essential personnel should report to work at their scheduled time. Extracurricular activities, interscholastic games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics.

The federal government meanwhile, is operating under a two-hour delay. From the Office of Personnel Management:

Federal agencies in the Washington, DC area are OPEN under 2 hours DELAYED ARRIVAL and employees have the OPTION FOR UNSCHEDULED LEAVE OR UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK. Employees should plan to arrive for work no more than 2 hours later than they would be expected to arrive.

Earlier this morning, an Arlington Alert warned of hazardous travel conditions.

Icy conditions and patchy dense fog expected this morning. Ice will persist on untreated surfaces as air temps remain around freezing. Patchy dense fog will combine with residual ice and may result in slick spots. Visibilities may drop to a quarter mile or less at times. Please use extra caution if traveling. Sidewalks may be quite icy and require particular caution.

Some residents said that while roads were okay this morning, sidewalks were particularly slippery.

Parents may not being loving the school closure, but some Arlington little leaguers will apparently be living it up today.

Icy Conditions Likely Today, Potholes and Pipe Bursts Reported

By ARLnow.com

Drivers and pedestrians alike should be on the lookout for ice this morning as the temperature dips back below freezing.

Forecasters say slippery conditions are likely. From the National Weather Service.

… PATCHES OF ICE RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL POSSIBLE THIS MORNING…

AIR TEMPERATURES WILL FALL BELOW FREEZING THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE DROPPING THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WITH ROAD TEMPERATURES ACROSS MARYLAND AND WEST OF I-81 ALREADY BELOW FREEZING… THIS WILL LEAD TO ANY SNOW AND ICE THAT MELTED YESTERDAY TO REFREEZE ON UNTREATED SURFACES. PLEASE USE EXTRA CAUTION AND GIVE YOURSELF EXTRA TIME TO GET TO YOUR DESTINATION IF TRAVELING TODAY. REDUCE SPEED AND STAY ALERT FOR PATCHES OF ICE AND SLICK ROAD CONDITIONS.

The changing temperatures are also playing havoc with pipes that are exposed to the elements. Several instances of burst pipes have been reported around Arlington this morning.

The freezing and refreezing is also causing some big potholes on local roads, like the one seen below on the 4700 block of Washington Blvd.

APS to Open on Two Hour Delay

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools are opening on a two hour delay this morning due to concerns about icy conditions.

From APS:

APS schools and offices will open two hours late today and all schools will end at the normal dismissal time. Essential school employees should report on time. The Extended Day program will also open two hours late. There will be no early release and all morning field trips are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

Snow on Columbia Pike Monday nightAPS joins D.C. and Alexandria, among others, in setting a two hour delay. Fairfax and Montgomery County schools have closed for the day.

Arlington’s STAR paratransit system, meanwhile, is opening at 10:00 a.m. and all rides before that are canceled, except for those that are for dialysis.

So far, few accidents are being reported on the roads around Arlington. The county says it’s treating both main roads and residential area this morning.

The National Weather Service is reporting 0.5-1.7 inches of snow accumulation around Arlington since Sunday night.

Photo courtesy @ezequieeeel

NWS Warns of Icy Morning Commute

By ARLnow.com

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Arlington and much of the D.C. area through 8:00 a.m. Thursday.

Forecasters say freezing drizzle and fog may make for a slippery morning commute.

… WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EST THURSDAY…

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE AND FREEZING FOG.
* ACCUMULATIONS… TRACE AMOUNTS OF ICE.
* TIMING… EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.
* TEMPERATURES… LOWER 30S.
* WINDS… LIGHT AND VARIABLE.
* IMPACTS… ROADS AND SIDEWALKS THAT ARE UNTREATED WILL BECOME SLIPPERY… CAUSING THE POTENTIAL FOR HAZARDOUS TRAVELING CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT AREAS OF FREEZING FOG WILL CAUSE SLIPPERY CONDITIONS. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES BELOW ONE-HALF MILE AT TIMES… AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

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