snow

County Bracing For Overnight Snow

By ARLnow.com

With the first flakes beginning to fall, county snow removal crews are getting ready to tackle yet another significant snow storm. The National Weather Service is calling for 3-6 inches of snow, with the heaviest snowfall between 10:00 PM and 4:00 AM tonight.

The county says about 45 snow plows will be put into service tonight. Crews will work in 12-hour shifts to try to get streets cleared in time for the morning rush. Since first priority is given to the most heavily-traveled roads, expect most residential streets to be at least partially snow-covered.

With forecasters talking about the possibility of another major snowfall this weekend, there’s also the issue of the snow removal budget. VDOT is already $5 million over its $27 million budget in Northern Virginia, according to WTOP. Arlington’s annual snow removal budget is approximately $1 million, county spokesperson Shannon Whalen-McDaniel said today. No word yet on how much has been spent so far.

The county’s press release on tonight’s snow preps is after the jump.
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Groundhog Predicts More Winter, Might Be Right

By ARLnow.com

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, signalling that six more weeks of winter are ahead. Statistically, the opposite of the groundhog’s February 2nd prediction usually holds true. But this year it appears the rodent might be spot on.

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for our area tonight. Current predictions are calling for rain changing to snow, with 2-4 inches of accumulation by tomorrow morning. And another snow storm may be brewing for this weekend.

The Capital Weather Gang notes that we seem to be in the midst of a cold and abnormally snowy weather pattern. So, at least this year, chalk one up for the Prognosticator of Prognosticators.

Plows Out, Roads Still Dangerous

By ARLnow.com

Snow is tapering off, but many major roads remain snow covered. Around 6:00 tonight, Arlington Police shut down the Hayes St. on-ramp to I-395 due to treacherous conditions. Earlier, traffic cameras caught a car that spun out at the top of the ramp.

UPDATED: Major Road Closures

By ARLnow.com

Police have temporarily shut down all lanes of I-395 South between Hayes Street and Arlington Ridge Road due to snowy conditions. Meanwhile, I-66 has reopened at Spout Run after an earlier accident.

Update @ 2:16 PM – Traffic cameras show snow plows working to clear portions of I-395 South. Police are reopening lanes, but may take some time for the backlog to clear out. Traffic is currently backed up on I-395 South past the Pentagon.

Cameras also show very heavy westbound traffic on the Arlington portion of I-66. In addition, there are reports of slow traffic on the northbound lanes of the George Washington Parkway.
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Snow Update

By ARLnow.com

As snow continues to fall across the region, Arlington County Police are reporting numerous vehicle accidents and disabled vehicles. Be careful out there.

Snowy Saturday Predicted

By ARLnow.com

Crystal Drive during the 2009 SnowpocalypseYesterday forecasters were predicting an inch of snow for Saturday. Now the Capital Weather Gang is predicting 2-4 inches of snow and warning that precipitation totals could reach even higher. Check back with us tomorrow as we program the brand new arlnow.com police scanner and monitor the snow’s impact on the community. The announcement from Arlington County Alerts is after the jump.
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