snow

Winter Weather Advisory Issued for Arlington, D.C. Area

By ARLnow.com

Update at 2:15 p.m. — “Please plan to leave work early today,” VDOT’s Northern Virginia office said via Twitter this afternoon.

Earlier: Arlington will be under a Winter Weather Advisory tonight and early Friday as some snow threatens to disrupt the upcoming evening and morning commutes.

The National Weather Service says about an inch of accumulation is expected, potentially resulting in slick roads and sidewalks.

More from NWS:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 AM EST FRIDAY… * WHAT…SNOW EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND ONE INCH EXPECTED. * WHERE…THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA. * WHEN…FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 AM EST FRIDAY. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS AND SIDEWALKS. THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS COULD IMPACT THE EVENING COMMUTE AFTER SUNSET AS TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW FREEZING. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. EXPECT SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES, AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1. &&

Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services says it is adding “extra response shifts” tonight to help keep roadways clear, though salt residue already on the roads will serve double duty as pre-treatment this time around.

Arlington Public Schools has, in turn, canceled all after-school and evening activities Thursday night. Arlington’s Dept. of Parks and Recreation has canceled a number of activities, as well:

  • All Enjoy Arlington classes, 55+ classes and nature center programs with start times of 5 p.m. or later are cancelled in all buildings.
  • Sports activities, leagues and instructional programs in APS buildings are cancelled.
  • Sports league activities in all community centers and other County facilities will proceed as scheduled.
  • DPR Teen after school programs will proceed as scheduled.
  • All Community Centers (including joint use facilities located at Drew, Carver, Gunston, Langston and Thomas Jefferson) will remain open.
  • For information regarding the status of the Arlington Aquatic Centers, please check here.

More via Twitter:

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Spike Mendelsohn Planning New Restaurants in Crystal City — “Already in National Landing with Good Stuff Eatery and We, The Pizza, Mendelsohn has a letter of interest out for two new spaces. One will bring his Mexican taco shop already on Capitol Hill, Santa Rosa, to Virginia. Another is a new concept: fried chicken.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Shutdown May Fry Local Economy — “Come February — perhaps by the beginning of the month, probably the middle and definitely by the end — the financial, occupational and psychological impact of this now-record government shutdown will go from the theoretical to the very, very real.” [Washington Business Journal]

Trump Signs Shutdown Backpay Bill — President Trump has signed a bill championed by Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) that will provide backpay to federal employees affected by the government shutdown. Now Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner are working to provide a similar guarantee for low-wage federal contractors. [Federal News Network]

JBG’s ‘Brutally Honest’ Amazon Pitch — A quote attributed to JBG Smith Chief Development Officer Kai Reynolds, talking about his pitch to Amazon’s HQ2 team: “So we literally sat down at 8 in the morning, and I started the presentation by saying ‘I’ve lived [in this region] a number of years, I had never been [to Crystal City]. While it’s better than I thought, it’s kind of a shithole.'” [Bisnow]

Snow May Disrupt Evening Commute — “The main band of snow is likely to come through during the evening and overnight hours. As the onset of snow may coincide with the evening commute, especially in our western areas, build in extra time to get home or consider leaving a little early to beat the rush. Some slick spots could develop, especially on untreated roads.” [Capital Weather Gang, Twitter]

Nearby: Attempted Kidnapping in Georgetown — “As she neared her front door about 5 p.m. Tuesday, a woman grabbed the child from behind and tried to abduct her, D.C. police said. The girl fought back and broke free. The nanny in the car screamed, and the woman ran.” [Washington Post]

County Making Progress on Snow Removal, Though Some Icy Patches Linger

By Alex Koma
1/2

Three days out from one of the D.C. region’s biggest snowstorms in years, Arlington officials say they’ve managed to clear most streets and county-controlled sidewalks — but the frigid temperatures of the last few nights have led to some trouble spots.

Since this weekend’s big storm, county workers have been able to clear the vast majority of highly trafficked roads, and many neighborhood streets as well. But Katie O’Brien, a spokeswoman for the county’s Department of Environmental Services, told ARLnow that snow plows are still on the road today (Wednesday) “to address areas that need additional treatment.”

“We have been having a lot of issues with refreezing over the past few days on both streets and sidewalks,” O’Brien wrote in an email. The problem was even significant enough to prompt the county school system to switch from a planned two-hour delay yesterday morning (Tuesday) to a full closure.

When it comes to those troublesome sidewalks, the county puts most of the onus for clearing walkways on residents and businesses. But Arlington crews still have responsibility for sidewalks outside county facilities, like libraries and community centers.

And on that front, O’Brien says that workers have managed to clear all the sidewalks the county is responsible for maintaining. The same goes for the walkways near county parks, according to Department of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish.

“We’ve got everything cleared at this point, but will continue to monitor things due to snow melt and refreeze,” Kalish wrote in an email.

Of course, some slick spots still linger on trails within the parks themselves. Some walking paths remain iced over in parks around the county, prompting a few complaints from frustrated ARLnow readers. A quick survey of paths in both the James Hunter Dog Park in Clarendon and the Henry Clay Park in Lyon Park showed that ice still coated most of their walkways.

But Kalish says that’s largely because the county prioritizes sidewalks “around our community centers so they can safely open,” then focuses on “clearing safe routes to schools and then the heaviest used sidewalks (normally associated with Metro or busier urban areas).”

Kalish added that parks workers also are responsible for clearing “10 miles of high-volume, multi-use county trails,” and that process is just about wrapped up as well.

Notably, this was the county’s first storm since setting up a temporary salt storage facility to replace the old “Salt Dome” providing road salt for the northern half of the county — a controversial process that rankled neighbors this summer — but O’Brien says there were “no major concerns or unexpected issues” with the new facility.

She added that the county’s “staffing levels for plow operators and snow-clearing personnel have remained steady,” despite Arlington’s recent budget woes, allowing the county to operate its full fleet of 46 snow plow trucks without a hitch.

Going forward, O’Brien says that anyone who notices a street or patch of sidewalk that needs some work can report it for attention through an online form on the county’s website.

And it might be a good idea to give any remaining patches of ice some attention sooner rather than later — forecasters expect a wintry mix to roll back through the area tomorrow night (Thursday).

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Housing and the County Budget — A new Greater Greater Washington article explores ways to add new housing at a time when Arlington County is facing a serious budget gap. [GGW]

Trails Treacherous for Cyclists — Despite efforts to plow local trails, many stretches in Arlington were still icy or snow-covered yesterday. [Twitter]

Police Warn About Phone Scam — “The Arlington County Police Department is warning the public about a fundraising phone scam targeting County residents. Residents have contacted the police department after receiving unsolicited phone calls from individual(s) claiming to be with the Arlington County Police Department and requesting donations to benefit the disabled and underprivileged children.” [Arlington County]

Fraser Among Those Called By Scammers — Arlington resident and local media personality Sarah Fraser was among those to be called by the scammers posing as ACPD. [Twitter]

A Modest Proposal for Stop Signs — “Close observation of local driving practices confirms the view that stop signs have become irrelevant, since no one obeys them. The closest drivers come is to slow and then slide through the intersection. It would be a cost-saving measure if Arlington County were to remove all its stop signs and replace them with ‘Yield’ signs.” [InsideNova]

Va. 8th District Has Most Federal Workers — “The House member with the most federal workers in his or her district is Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, whose Virginia district includes 86,900 federal workers. (Among districts with no military bases, Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly’s neighboring Virginia district has the highest number of federal workers.)” [Pew Research h/t Patricia Sullivan]

Stuck School Bus in Maywood — “#ArlingtonVA school bus stuck this am on N Fillmore St & 23rd St. N 3 days *AFTER* the snow! This hill on Fillmore is NEVER timely plowed or cleared. Do not put children at risk! Can @ArlingtonVA please clear this street.” [Twitter]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Gymboree Expected to Close — “Children’s clothing retailer Gymboree Group Inc. is expected to seek bankruptcy protection this week, with plans to close all 900 of its stores, according to people familiar with the matter.” The company has a Gymboree location at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall. [Wall Street Journal]

A First for the Local Real Estate Market — “The Arlington real estate market for 2018 was essentially flat compared to a year before – while, for the first time, the average sales price of single-family homes topped the $1 million mark.” [InsideNova]

Storm Response Now in ‘Phase 4’ — Arlington County’s snow removal effort is now in “Phase 4,” cleaning up problem areas with a focus on schools and county facilities. Overnight a refreeze produced black ice and made plowing more difficult and driving hazardous, the county said. Last night Arlington Public Schools decided to close schools today instead of open on a delay. [Twitter]

School Construction Project Update — Construction is running on time on both the future Alice West Fleet Elementary School and the future home of H-B Woodlawn in Rosslyn, but heavy rains have caused delays for the future Dorothy Hamm Middle School, formerly known as the Stratford School, on Vacation Lane. [InsideNova]

UPDATE: Arlington Public Schools Closed Tuesday

By Alex Koma

Update at 10 p.m. — Arlington Public Schools will be closed Tuesday.

“Because we anticipate hazardous driving and walking conditions on some neighborhood sidewalks and bus stops throughout the County due to freezing tonight, all APS Schools will be closed,” the school system said. School offices will open at 10 a.m.

Arlington County government is currently planning to open on time. The federal government is opening on a two hour delay.

Earlier: Arlington Public Schools will likely open on a two-hour delay tomorrow (Tuesday), as forecasters warn of a re-freeze of melting snow on county roads.

The school system announced that it will open schools and offices two hours late “based on the current forecast and conditions for tomorrow morning,” but officials plan to release a final update at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.

That means any “essential personnel” and food service workers should still report to work on time. However, APS says it will watch for “deteriorating weather and road conditions” overnight and early tomorrow.

County workers are already warning of below-freezing temperatures making roads a bit icy overnight, and forecasters fully expect that to cause more problems tomorrow. County offices, courts, and facilities are set to open as normal tomorrow, however.

Arlington officials also plan to shift trash collection dates back by one day for the rest of the week, as snow removal continues.

Flickr pool photo by Jenn Vogel

Major Road Conditions Improve, But County Urges People to Stay Home As Snow Removal Continues

By Alex Koma
`
1/10

(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) The snowflakes have finally stopped falling, and now Arlingtonians are starting to dig out from the first big snow storm of the new year.

With county schools and offices all closed (to say nothing of the federal government), traffic is light on area roads and highways. All Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation facilities have also since been closed, and all programs cancelled.

But if you do need to venture out today (Monday), highways and even most highly trafficked roads around the county look pretty clear.

However, crews are still working to reach many neighborhood streets, and county police are urging people to stay off the road, if possible.

Metrorail service is running as normal, but many Metrobus routes are delayed due to icy conditions. WMATA says the 16C, 16E, 16G, 23B and 28A routes could all be affected.

Arlington Transit buses are running on reduced schedules on the 41, 51, 55 and 87 lines, while service on the 77 line is currently suspended. Virginia Railway Express won’t run any trains today.

Be sure to check with the organizers of any events you might’ve planned on attending tonight, as many have already been cancelled. For instance, the county has called off its open house on longe-range planning for new cycling infrastructure, originally set to be held at Phoenix Bikes.

If you are at home today, you might want to break out the snow shovel — a county ordinance calls for all residents and businesses to clear off adjacent sidewalks by 3 p.m. Tuesday.

UPDATED: County, Federal Governments Closed Monday As Crews Try to Clear Primary Roads

By ARLnow.com
1/10

Update at 10:25 p.m. — Arlington County government will be closed Monday. As a result, there will be no curbside trash pickup Monday; service will resume when the county government reopens. Arlington snow crews are also reverting back to “Phase 2” of the county’s snow plan, meaning plows will stop treating neighborhood streets and will resume treating primary and secondary arterial streets only.

The extra burst of snow Sunday evening has caused problems at local airports. There are reports of extensive delays, extended waits on the tarmac and frustrated passengers at Reagan National Airport.

Another impact of the extra burst of snow Sunday evening: Arlington Transit Service.

“Due to inclement weather, ART will begin service on Monday, Jan. 14 at 8:00am with *Severe* service on ART 41, 51, 55 and 87,” ART said Sunday night. “Service on ART 77 will remain suspended until further notice.”

Update at 9:45 p.m. — The federal government — the parts of it that are not furloughed, at least — is closed Monday, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall is also closed. Among other closures, earlier today Arlington Public Schools announced that Monday will be a snow day, with all classes and activities cancelled.

Earlier: This weekend’s snowstorm isn’t done yet.

A prolonged period of steady snow is blanketing local roads after an afternoon lull that saw Arlington snow crews move their focus from arterial roads to neighborhood streets. The burst of snow has caused treacherous conditions in parts of the county and prompted a number of road closures.

“Many roads are becoming impassable due to weather conditions,” Arlington’s office of emergency management wrote shortly before 5:30 p.m. “Motorists are urged to stay off the roads to allow crews to treat the roadways. Conditions are expected to deteriorate as temperatures continue to drop.”

Around 7 p.m., all Metrobus service was suspended amid reports of buses getting stuck on hills. An hour and a half later, Arlington Transit announced that it was suspending service for the rest of the night.

Arlington County Police, Arlington’s Dept of Environmental Services and VDOT are all urging residents to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary tonight into Monday morning.

A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until midnight tonight.

…WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT… * WHAT…PERIODS OF SNOW. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES EXPECTED. * WHERE…THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN AND NORTHWEST VIRGINIA. * WHEN…UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…TRAVEL WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT DUE TO SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY ROADS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL, KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT, FOOD AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1. &&

Arlington appears likely to clock in at around 10 inches of snow accumulation by the time the flakes stop falling, though as much as a foot remains possible.

Among other trouble spots in Arlington, photos and video sent to ARLnow show cars and buses getting stuck on the hills around Rosslyn and Courthouse. And even emergency responders are having trouble; ACFD engine 108 reported around 6:45 p.m. that it had gotten stuck on a hill in the area of Rock Spring Road and 32nd Road N. and needed a tow truck.

Power outages have also been reported in Arlington. As of 6:30 p.m. just over 1,000 Dominion customers were in the dark around the county, primarily in the Tara-Leeway Heights, High View Park and Westover neighborhoods.

Another 1-3 inches of snow is possible through midnight, the National Weather Service said in a Special Weather Statement this evening.

“Icy roads are possible as the snow melts on the roads then quickly refreezes,” the statement notes. “Conditions can deteriorate rapidly in winter weather situations. Be prepared for snow or ice covered roads. Slow down and allow extra time when traveling.”

From midnight through 5:30 p.m. today, troopers from Virginia State Police’s Fairfax Division responded to 68 crashes and 81 disabled vehicles around Northern Virginia. VSP responded to 324 crashes statewide so far today.

More via Twitter:

UPDATE: Arlington Public Schools Closed Monday as Snow Continues Falling

By ARLnow.com
1/7

Update at 3:30 p.m. — All Arlington Public Schools will be closed Monday, the school system just announced.

Earlier: Arlington County snow removal crews have started plowing neighborhood streets as the snowiest D.C. area storm since 2016 starts to wind down.

The county’s Dept. of Environmental Services announced just before 1 p.m. that it had entered “Phase 3” of its snow response, during which crews are “working to widen passage on primary and secondary arterial” streets while “beginning to treat/plow residential streets.”

Crews across Northern Virginia worked throughout the night to keep roads drivable, though officials cautioned against unnecessary travel due to slick conditions.

Virginia State Police said troopers in its Fairfax Division, which includes Arlington, responded to 34 crashes and 52 disabled vehicles since midnight. Statewide, more than 230 crashes were handled by VSP during that timeframe.

“Drivers be advised — looks can be and are deceiving!” state police said. “Highways may appear to be clear, but slick and icy conditions still exist.”

“On the second day of winter weather across northern Virginia, drivers are asked to continue to avoid unnecessary travel for crews to safely clear accumulating snow,” VDOT urged.

In Arlington, all Dept. of Parks and Recreation classes and activities in county and school facilities were canceled today. All county fields and community centers were closed and all other activities at public schools were canceled. Arlington Transit buses, meanwhile, are operating on a limited schedule.

As of 2 p.m., Arlington Public Schools had not yet announced its status for Monday. Another 2-3 inches could fall between 1 p.m. today and just after midnight, according to the National Weather Service, and a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect.

Despite the hazards, the snow produced picturesque scenes around Arlington. More snowy scenes from around town, via social media:

(more…)

Roads Becoming Snow-Covered As Governor Declares State of Emergency

By ARLnow.com
1/7

Few crashes or major problems have been reported on Arlington roads so far today (Saturday), but this weekend’s snowstorm is only getting started.

Many streets around the county are becoming increasingly snow-covered, though traffic is light and many seem to be heeding advice to stay at home rather than go out.

Additionally, a number of events were canceled and some facilities closed early tonight. From Arlington County:

  • DPR league games and activities with start times of 5:30 p.m. or later this evening are cancelled.
  • The Family Skate Night and Teen Night at Thomas Jefferson Community Center are cancelled for this evening.
  • All Community Centers will be closing at 6 p.m. this evening.
  • The Arlington Gymnastics Competition scheduled this evening will proceed until completion.

Arlington is currently under a Winter Storm Warning, with 6-12 inches of snow expected through Sunday evening. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, meanwhile, declared a state of emergency Saturday night.

From a press release:

Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency today in advance of the anticipated effects of winter weather expected this weekend including snow, ice, and high winds throughout much of the Commonwealth. This will likely result in downed trees, power outages, and transportation impacts. The executive order is designed to help Virginia mitigate any damage caused by the winter weather event and to streamline the process that the Commonwealth uses to provide assistance to localities and communities impacted by storm effects.

“I am declaring a state of emergency in order to prepare and coordinate the Commonwealth’s response to anticipated winter storm impacts, including snow and ice accumulations, transportation issues, and power outages,” said Governor Northam. “Virginians should take precautions to stay safe as we begin experiencing winter weather effects.”

Arlington County snow removal crews are currently focusing their efforts on clearing primary roads and secondary arterial streets. After the snow starts tapering off Sunday, those crews will move on to start plowing neighborhood streets.

If more than six inches of snow falls, by county ordinance residents will be expected to clear the sidewalks in front of their homes within 36 hours of the last flakes. If less than six inches fall, that timeframe shortens to 24 hours.

UPDATED: Arlington Preps for Snow as Winter Storm Warning Issued

By ARLnow.com

Update on 1/12/19 — Arlington is now under a Winter Storm Warning.

Earlier: Arlington County is under a Winter Weather Advisory starting Saturday afternoon.

Preparations are underway for the snow — 3-5 inches are expected — with county and VDOT crews pre-treating roads and gearing up for snow removal operations once the flakes start falling. Most of the immediate D.C. area is under the advisory, while points south are under winter storm watches and warnings.

More from the National Weather Service:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM SATURDAY TO 7 AM EST SUNDAY… * WHAT…SNOW EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES EXPECTED. * WHERE…THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PORTIONS CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA. * WHEN…FROM 4 PM SATURDAY TO 7 AM EST SUNDAY. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. EXPECT SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES, AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1. &&

Arlington’s emergency management office sent out an alert Friday afternoon, urging residents to stock necessary items early and prepare for difficult travel.

Do not wait to prepare! Grocery stores are known to run out of key items quickly. Have enough food and water for your entire family, including pets, to last for the weekend. Be prepared in case the power goes out.  Find more preparedness info at ReadyArlington.com.

Winter weather conditions will make travel very hazardous or impossible. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. For info on the snow removal process, visit the Department of Environmental Services website at https://emergency. arlingtonva.us/weather/snow-ice/snow-removal-phases/.

Login at ArlingtonAlert.com ensure your information in your Arlington Alert profile is correct. For up to date information, follow Ready Arlington on Facebook and Twitter.

As always, only call or text 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency. For any non-emergency Police or Fire issues, dial 703-558-2222.

VDOT and other local officials are asking drivers to stay off snow-covered roads if at all possible, limiting trips to essential travel only. From VDOT:

Northern Virginia road crews are preparing for the first snow of 2019. VDOT asks that drivers plan travel around impending weather and avoid unnecessary travel during the storm.

What’s Happening Now

  • The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the southern and western portions of our district, and a Winter Weather Advisory for the central and northern portions.
  • Crews pretreated roads throughout Northern Virginia on Thursday and Friday.
  • On Saturday afternoon, plow trucks will stage along roadways.
  • Follow us on Twitter @vadotnova for updates from the field.

VDOT Asks Drivers and Residents to:

  • Monitor weather closely, as forecasts can improve or worsen quickly.
  • Plan ahead to avoid driving during the storm and after until conditions have improved. Freezing temperatures are expected through the weekend.
  • Park in driveways or on the same side of the street to allow plows room to pass.
  • If you absolutely must drive, know the conditions, drive for the conditions and give plows plenty of room. Ensure enough gas, wiper fluid, proper tires, medication, and an emergency car kit.

More via Twitter:

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