snow

BREAKING: Roads Closed, Bus Service Affected As Snow Makes Driving Treacherous

By ARLnow.com

Extremely slow regional traffic due to snow on 1/6/15 at 7:45 a.m.

(Updated at 10:25 a.m.) This morning’s commute is officially a traffic nightmare for anyone still out on the roads.

The map above shows just how bad traffic is around the region as two and a half inches of slick, powdery snow have fallen. Numerous accidents have been reported around the county as students make their way to school and commuters make their way to work.

Metrobus service has now been limited to snow emergency routes — major roadways only. There is no Metrobus service on secondary streets.

Arlington snow crews so far are only treating primary and secondary roads, not neighborhood streets.

Conditions are bad enough on local roads that we’ve heard of at least one tow truck getting stuck en route to an accident scene An Arlington County Police spokesman, who himself was stuck in heavy traffic having moved only 3 miles in an hour and a half, said officers were doing their best to keep up with all the accidents.

“Obviously traffic is pretty [bad],” said ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The county’s 911 call center is “getting a steady flow of emergency calls. The majority of calls are for struck vehicles… we’re addressing accidents first, then stuck vehicles.”

Sternbeck noted that the police department has a normal staffing level this morning.

At least one crossing guard has not been able to make it to her post near Jefferson Middle School, but no police officers are available to replace her, according to scanner traffic. At N. McKinkey Road in 9th Street, medics are responding to a crossing guard who slipped, injured her knee and is lying in the middle of the road.

Students are tweeting ARLnow.com saying their buses are running late or are getting stuck. Others say their school bus never showed up at all.

There have been police reports of school buses getting stuck in various locations, including near Oak Ridge Elementary and on 16th Street S. at S. Taylor Street.

The following roads have been closed by police due to cars getting stuck on hills:

  • 14th Street N. between Kirkwood and Kenmore
  • S. Adams Street between 25th and 26th
  • Wilson Blvd at N. Larrimore Street
  • 16th Street between Taylor and Stafford
  • N. Patrick Henry Drive at 9th
  • 8th Road S. at Dinwiddie
  • N. McKinley Road north of Wilson Blvd (several accidents reported)

Drivers and residents have been tweeting reports of accidents and stuck vehicles.

Trash collection is being delayed until later in the day today, according to the Dept. of Environmental Services.

A “ground stop” was in place for flights at Reagan National Airport for part of the morning. As of 8:50 a.m., the airport said the main runway had been treated and “our operations are back to normal.”

While numerous problems have been reported on the roads, at least one bike trail was well-treated this morning.

The National Weather Service belatedly issued a Winter Storm Warning just after 9:00 a.m.

… WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SNOW… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW… HEAVY AT TIMES.
* ACCUMULATIONS… 4 TO 6 INCHES.
* TIMING… UNTIL 1 PM. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE THROUGH 11 AM.
* TEMPERATURES… LOW 20S.
* WINDS… VARIABLE 5 MPH.
* IMPACTS… HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATING ON ALL SURFACES WELL BELOW FREEZING AND VISIBILITY BELOW HALF MILE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE FOR VERY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

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.

First Snow of 2015: Roads Covered, Schools Open

By ARLnow.com

Snow on Route 50 in Arlington at 6:00 a.m. (photo courtesy J. Sonder)

(Updated at 7:30 a.m.) Roads are covered with white, powdery snow as Arlington and the rest of the D.C. region gets its first snow of the year and first measurable snow of the season.

Several accidents have been reported around Arlington as an inch or so of snow has made driving treacherous. The crashes are happening throughout the county — on I-395, Glebe Road at Route 50, Wilson Blvd and elsewhere.

The Wilson Blvd crash, at N. Larrimore Street, reportedly involves several vehicles. Wilson Blvd is shut down between N. Kensington and Larrimore Streets as of 7:00 a.m.

Cars and buses are struggling to make it up hills, particularly on neighborhood streets. Police have asked a salt truck to expedite to 16th Street N. near Virginia Hospital Center, as hospital employees and other drivers are having trouble making it up a hill.

Arlington snow crews “are out treating primary and secondary roads through the morning snow,” according to the Dept. of Environmental Services.

ART buses are running this morning, but delays are likely.

“Roads and sidewalks have become very slippery,” ART said in an alert. “ART routes are running but delays are expected.”

Students, meanwhile, will be disappointed to know that Arlington Public Schools has not seen fit to delay school as a result of the snow. The school system announced this morning that it’s opening on time, on a normal schedule.

School are opening on time in the District of Columbia and Fairfax County, as well.

VDOT has reported 21 crashes in Northern Virginia as of 6:55 a.m.

Photo courtesy J. Sonder

Arlington Crews on Snow Alert

By ARLnow.com

Salt truck (file photo)Arlington snow crews are getting ready for what might be the county’s first measurable snowfall of 2015.

Forecasters say the area could get 1-2 inches of snow Tuesday morning. The timing of the storm might make the morning commute miserable.

Arlington County crews have started pre-treating roads and bike trails with brine, as part of a “Phase 1: Alert” snow removal status.

“Snow crews will start spreading brine on arterial streets today and then go into residential areas,” according to Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Jessica Baxter. “Crews are also hooking up all of the plows today to be prepared to salt early tomorrow morning. This is all subject to change with the weather conditions.”

The National Weather Service issued the following Winter Weather Advisory this afternoon.

 … WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 1 PM EST TUESDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 1 PM EST TUESDAY.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW… POSSIBLY MODERATE AT TIMES.
* ACCUMULATIONS… AROUND 1 INCH. UP TO 2 INCHES UNDER HEAVIEST BANDS.
* TIMING… LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING INCLUDING THE MORNING TRAFFIC RUSH… HEAVIEST SNOW 6 AM TO 11 AM.
* TEMPERATURES… IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S.
* WINDS… SOUTH 5 TO 10 MPH.
* IMPACTS… SNOW ACCUMULATING ON SURFACES BELOW FREEZING WILL MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

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

VDOT Preps for Snowy Pre-Thanksgiving Travel

By ARLnow.com

Snow 3/3/14 (file photo)VDOT has about 400 trucks staged in Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington counties this morning, in preparation for a storm that’s bringing a combination of rain and snow to much of the the east coast.

The timing of the storm, on one of the busiest travel day of the year, could create major problems on local highways and byways.

VDOT urges drivers to “use extra caution, particularly on bridges, overpasses, curves, hills and ramps, which become slippery first,” as the snow starts falling later today. Crews are not pre-treating roads since the rain would just wash the treatment away.

The snow is expected to start falling in Arlington as the storm begins to taper off, between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m., according to the Capital Weather Gang. It’s expected to begin snowing this morning in northern and western parts of the region.

AAA Mid-Atlantic, meanwhile, is warning of the potential for “massive traffic woes and havoc on the treacherous roadways.”

“Wednesday can turn into a chaotic and frightening scene of events on the roadways along the East Coast,” said AAA Mid-Atlantic’s John Townsend. “With over one million travelers in Washington, D.C., another 1.1 in Virginia, and nearly 900,000 in Maryland taking to the roads this Thanksgiving, AAA is warning motorists to heed all travel warnings and stay home until road conditions improve.”

Some 24 percent of weather-related crashes happen due to snowy or icy pavement, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

For those who do have to travel today, WJLA meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts is advising that the best time to head north is before 10:00 a.m., while the best time to travel south is after 7:00 p.m. All major area highways are expected to see weather impacts, Ricketts said.

Arlington Public Schools students have a pre-scheduled off day today for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Morning Poll: Has the Storm Changed Your Travel Plans?

By ARLnow.com

Snowstorm hits Arlington 1/21/14 (Photo courtesy @albers_eric)An east coast storm could bring some sloppy snow and rain to Arlington and up to a half foot of snow accumulation to the outer northern and western parts of the D.C. region tomorrow.

Forecasters say above-freezing temperatures should preclude more than an inch or so of accumulation locally. Still, the storm has the potential to have a major impact on Thanksgiving travel from Washington to Boston on Wednesday.

If you’re planning to travel for the holiday, is the storm affecting your travel plans?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Two Rosslyn buildings reflect Friday night's fiery sunset

Wakefield’s First Winning Season in 31 Years — The Wakefield Warriors football team has clinched its first winning season since 1983. Wakefield is 6-2 and expected to make the playoffs. [InsideNova]

Average First Snowfall at DCA — According to 30 years worth of National Weather Service data, the average date of the first measurable snowfall at Reagan National Airport is Dec. 18. [HillNow]

O’Leary Expects Howze Victory — Thanks to an influx of party-line voters — “the power of the sample ballot” —  former county treasurer and local election prognosticator Frank O’Leary thinks fellow Democrat Alan Howze will defeat incumbent John Vihstadt on Nov. 4. If Vihstadt is defeated, Democrats worry he would run again next year and, with no congressional races on the ballot, win against Mary Hynes or Walter Tejada. [InsideNova]

Two-Story Snow Fort Reduced to Rubble

By ARLnow.com

12-foot snow fort in Leeway-Overlee (photo courtesy Christina Grieg) Remains of the Leeway-Overlee snow fort

Old man winter is losing his grip on the area as spring-like temperatures have finally arrived.

Aside from the sunny, blue skies, the arrival of spring can perhaps best evident by looking at the remains of a formerly two-story snow fort.

The snow fort, built by a 19-year-old Leeway-Overlee resident, once stood 12 feet high. Now, it’s a small pile of “snow rubble,” surrounded by an area of brown grass about the size of the fort’s 11-foot-by-11-foot base.

Photo courtesy @StuNagurka

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.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Snow falls on 3/25/14

Arlington Crews Prepared for Snow — Arlington County pretreated primary and secondary roads in advance of today’s snowfall. The county says that with less than two inches of accumulation expected, crews will treat roads “where sticking occurs.” [Twitter]

TechAmerica Moves to Rosslyn — The technology trade group TechAmerica has quietly moved from the District to Rosslyn. TechAmerica originally moved from Rosslyn to the District in 2009. [Washington Business Journal]

Chopra Starts New Company in Arlington — Aneesh Chopra, the country’s first Chief Technology Officer and a recent candidate for lieutenant governor in Virginia, has started a new data and analytics company. The company, Hunch Analytics, is based in Arlington. [Washington Post]

YHS Student Wins Writing Gold Medal — Yorktown High School sophomore Emily Burke has won a Scholastic Writing Awards Gold Medal for a personal essay entitled, “Lost And Found in Beirut And Amman.” [Arlington Public Schools]

More Wintry Weather Expected Tuesday

By ARLnow.com

It may be spring, but more snow is on the way for Arlington.

Forecasters say an inch or more of snow is possible from Tuesday morning to Tuesday evening. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory, warning of a possibly messy morning commute.

… WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 3 PM EDT TUESDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 3 PM EDT TUESDAY.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS… 1 TO 3 INCHES. THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS WILL BE NORTH AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 95 TOWARD THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS.

* TIMING… SNOW WILL BEGIN EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TUESDAY MORNING BEFORE TAPERING OFF DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

* TEMPERATURES… LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S. HIGH TEMPERATURES TUESDAY WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S.

* WINDS… BECOMING SOUTHEAST AROUND 5 MPH.

* IMPACTS… ROADS WILL BE SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY TUESDAY MORNING AND TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. MOST SURFACES WILL BECOME WET TUESDAY 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.

Video: Snow Plow Drives Wrong Way Down Military Road

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:30 p.m.) An Arlington County snow plow was spotted driving the wrong way on Military Road today, and part of the incident was caught on video.

Jason Berry, a local filmmaker and entrepreneur, says he encountered the snow plow head on while driving down Military Road in the Donaldson Run neighborhood around 7:30 a.m.

“I came over a hill and headed right towards me was this snow plow in my lane,” Berry told ARLnow.com via email. “The driver did not move or slow down, I was forced out of my lane into the deeper snow in between lanes. I temporarily lost control of my car and managed to use the e-brake to slide to a stop.”

“I then was facing the other direction in the other lane so I proceeded to catch back up to the plow and that is where the video starts,” Berry continued. “The plow is seen driving in the wrong lane THROUGH an intersection (of Military and Marcey Road), which is at the crest of a blind hill.”

Berry, 44, said he has “never seen such a brazen act of indifference” on the part of a snow plow driver while living in Arlington and, previously, in snowy Rochester, N.Y.

Arlington County says the plow driver was not following proper procedures.

“This is completely unacceptable behavior for snow plowing and it was in violation of Arlington County’s plow driver practices and training,” Dave Hundelt, a manager at Arlington’s Water, Sewer and Streets Bureau, told ARLnow.com via email just after 12:30 p.m.

Snow plow accident on Route 50 (Photo courtesy @ATrombs)“As soon as the County learned of the unacceptable behavior, we identified the driver and removed him from duty,” Hundelt said. “We will be taking appropriate action with this employee. Safety is a priority for the County, and we encourage any driver issues or concerns to be reported to the police.”

In a separate incident, another snow plow — a VDOT contractor, according to a department spokeswoman — became disabled after it ran up on the center divider on Route 50 near Glebe Road this morning. No word yet on how that happened.

Video (top) courtesy Jason Berry. Photo (bottom) courtesy @ATrombs.

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