snow

JUST IN: Winter Storm Watch Issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Arlington is under a Winter Storm Watch from Wednesday night until Thursday night.

The watch was issued shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday. Forecasters say five or more inches of snow, plus some ice accumulation, is possible in the D.C. area during that timeframe.

More from the National Weather Service:

250 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2021

…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT…

* WHAT…TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 OR MORE INCHES AND TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF A QUARTER INCH OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE.

* WHERE…THE WASHINGTON, BALTIMORE, AND FREDERICKSBURG METROPOLITAN AREAS.

* WHEN…FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

* IMPACTS…POWER OUTAGES AND TREE DAMAGE ARE LIKELY DUE TO THE ICE. TRAVEL COULD BE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS COULD IMPACT THE MORNING OR EVENING COMMUTE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.

Arlington’s emergency management office is encouraging residents to prepare for a possible snowstorm and — when it snows — to help neighbors shovel if need be.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Another Snowstorm on the Way? — “Confidence is growing in a messy mix of wintry precipitation in the Washington region Thursday, the latest in a parade of wintry weather events since late January… Parts of the region could see significant amounts of snow and/or ice before a possible change to rain. The precipitation, which may be heavy at times, is likely to continue into Thursday night or very early Friday morning.” [Washington Post]

More Details on Pike CVS Development — “Last summer, the public caught wind of upcoming plans to redevelop the Fillmore Gardens Shopping Center on Columbia Pike in Arlington. Now… [a] rezoning application has been filed to apply Columbia Pike-specific zoning to the property at 2601 Columbia Pike (map) in order to deliver The Elliott, a six-story building with 248 apartments with a new CVS pharmacy and a grocery store on the ground floor.” [Urban Turf]

Equinox Isn’t Coming to Clarendon — “An affiliate of Regency Centers Corp. has sued an affiliate of upscale fitness chain Equinox for more than $20 million for allegedly pulling the plug on a planned location at the Market Common retail center… Clarendon Regency IV LLC sued Equinox Clarendon Inc. in U.S. District Court in Alexandria in mid-November for breaching the terms of its lease for space on the first and second floors of the nearly 68,500-square-foot building at 2801 Clarendon Blvd.” [Washington Business Journal]

Capitol Police Officer Died in Arlington — “Smith returned to the police clinic for a follow-up appointment Jan. 14 and was ordered back to work, a decision his wife now questions… Police found him in his cherished Ford Mustang, which had rolled over and down an embankment along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, near a scenic overlook on the Potomac River. He was the second police officer who had been at the riot to take his own life.” [Washington Post]

Reaction to Senate Trump Vote — Arlington’s Congressional delegation expressed disappointment with the acquittal of former President Trump in the Senate impeachment trial. Said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.): “A bipartisan majority of Senators voted today to send a clear message to future presidents that conduct of this nature is impeachable, intolerable and disqualifying. When the history books on this moment are written, I believe that judgment will be clear.” [Blue Virginia]

Solving Arlington’s Hunger Problem — “The pandemic has made it harder for many Americans to feed their families. After the COVID-19 outbreak, Arlington’s Department of Human Services estimated nearly 16,000 residents needed food assistance. Now the Capital Area Food Bank estimates 26,000 are at risk of hunger in Arlington. County leaders have a plan to help.” [WJLA]

Southwest Air ‘Love’ Story at DCA — “And of course, there’s the inspiring story of Reecie and Imani. Reecie met Imani in 2018 after Imani requested that her plane return to the gate [at Reagan National Airport] before taking off. Imani was the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding, but she was too nervous to fly.” [Twitter]

Jenna Bush’s Worst Date Happened in Arlington — “Hoda Kotb asked Jenna about her worst first date ever and boy, did the story deliver. ‘My worst first date involved the Secret Service, let’s just leave it at that,’ Jenna said, laughing…. She explained that they were in Arlington, Virginia, where her now-husband was living at the time. He had realized he was running out of fuel, so he tried to get to a corner gas station that was up a slight hill. ‘He started to go up the hill and then booooop, crash.'” [Today Show]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Arlington Under Winter Weather Advisory Starting Tonight

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) Another round of wintry weather is on tap, starting late night.

A Winter Weather Advisory was issued this morning for Arlington and other parts of the region, with forecasters calling for 1-3 inches of snow accumulation through Thursday morning. Additional rounds of snowfall are expected in the days ahead.

More on tonight’s snow event, from the National Weather Service.

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST THURSDAY…

* WHAT…SNOW EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES.

* WHERE…PORTIONS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, CENTRAL, NORTH CENTRAL, NORTHEAST AND NORTHERN MARYLAND, NORTHERN AND NORTHWEST VIRGINIA AND PANHANDLE WEST VIRGINIA.

* WHEN…FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST THURSDAY.

* IMPACTS…PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS COULD IMPACT THE MORNING OR EVENING COMMUTE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING.

WHEN VENTURING OUTSIDE, WATCH YOUR FIRST FEW STEPS TAKEN ON STEPS, SIDEWALKS, AND DRIVEWAYS, WHICH COULD BE ICY AND SLIPPERY, INCREASING YOUR RISK OF A FALL AND INJURY.

Arlington County crews have been pre-treating local roads and trails with brine lines in anticipation of the snow. VDOT crews are also pre-treating highways and major commuter routes in Arlington.

https://twitter.com/VaDOT/status/1359536658564145153

Prepare Now for Possible Snowstorm, County Says

By ARLnow.com

Arlington residents should “take steps today to prepare for winter weather,” the county’s emergency management office says.

Snow is in the forecast for seven of the next eight days, and the National Weather Service is cautioning of a winter storm threat from Thursday into Friday. (See below.)

Via social media, county officials this morning recommended “picking up a few extra non perishable foods,” along with sand for icy sidewalks. Residents should also check on “neighbors who may need help,” the emergency management office said.

An early trip to the grocery store may avoid crowds, while an early online grocery delivery order may avoid a lack of available delivery windows.

Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services, meanwhile, says it is “watching the developing forecast through Friday” and is prepared to pre-treat local roads with brine.

Via social media:

Arlington Under Winter Storm Warning Sunday Morning

By ARLnow.com

Despite temperatures expected to reach 50 degrees today, Arlington is mere hours from the start of a winter storm with snowfall that may exceed that of last weekend.

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for Arlington and surrounding communities, with forecasters calling for 3-6 inches of accumulation. The warning is in effect from 3 a.m.-noon on Super Bowl Sunday.

Periods of heavy snow are expected Sunday morning, making travel treacherous, but warming temperatures should allow those with plans for the big game to get around with few issues later in the afternoon.

Snow crews are getting ready to do battle with the elements once again

“VDOT Northern Virginia crews are ready for a quick-hitting winter storm expected to impact the district early Sunday,” VDOT said today. “Today, crews are pre-treating bridges, ramps, overpasses and other trouble spots throughout Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties, to help prevent ice and snow from bonding to the pavement at the onset of the storm.”

“Residents are asked to monitor forecasts, plan ahead to avoid nonessential travel during the storm, and be aware of the potential for slick spots overnight Sunday.” the transportation agency noted.

The City of Falls Church, meanwhile, is activating its snow emergency routes at 9 p.m. tonight (Saturday).

More from the National Weather Service:

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON EST SUNDAY…

* WHAT…HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES.

* WHERE…THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA.

* WHEN…FROM 3 AM TO NOON EST SUNDAY.

* IMPACTS…TRAVEL COULD BE VERY DIFFICULT.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BETWEEN 3 AM AND 5 AM, AND MAY BRIEFLY MIX WITH RAIN AT FIRST. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED BETWEEN 6 AM AND 10 AM, WHEN VISIBILITY MAY BE REDUCED TO A QUARTER MILE AND SNOWFALL RATES COULD REACH ONE INCH PER HOUR.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

IF YOU MUST TRAVEL, KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT, FOOD, AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

WHEN VENTURING OUTSIDE, WATCH YOUR FIRST FEW STEPS TAKEN ON STEPS, SIDEWALKS, AND DRIVEWAYS, WHICH COULD BE ICY AND SLIPPERY, INCREASING YOUR RISK OF A FALL AND INJURY.

NEW: Winter Storm Watch Issued for Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County and much of the D.C. region is under a Winter Storm Watch, with close to a half-foot of snow possible over the weekend.

The National Weather Service issued the watch this afternoon, saying that the snow will fall from late Saturday night through the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday. That’s despite today’s relative warmth, in the mid-50s.

The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang is a bit more conservative in its forecast, currently calling for 1-3 inches.

More from NWS:

313 PM EST FRI FEB 5 2021

…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON…

* WHAT…HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 OR MORE INCHES POSSIBLE.

* WHERE…THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MARYLAND, NORTHERN VIRGINIA, AND EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA.

* WHEN…FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS…PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.

Arlington Picks Up Another 2+ Inches of Snow

By ARLnow.com

This morning, in western Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and thus prognosticated six more weeks of winter.

If you were to only count the couple of hours after the prediction in Arlington, the groundhog was spot on.

Arlington residents woke up to another snow globe scene outside of their windows, with flakes flying from a narrow band of snow that seemingly targeted the I-95 corridor.

As of 8:30 a.m., the National Weather Service reported that 2.4 inches of snow has accumulated in the county over the past 24 hours. NWS also extended the Winter Weather Advisory that covers Arlington through 1 p.m.

807 AM EST Tue Feb 2 2021

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON…

* WHAT…Snow. Additional snow accumulations of up to two inches.

* WHERE… The District of Columbia, central, north central, northeast, northern and southern Maryland and central and northern Virginia.

* WHEN… Until 1 PM EST this afternoon.

* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Slow down and use caution while traveling.

When venturing outside, watch your first few steps taken on steps, sidewalks, and driveways, which could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.

Across Arlington, plow crews largely kept pace with the falling snow. Most local roads remain wet, with only patches of snow.

“Crews continue to treat roadways this morning with hundreds of tons of salt but the weather still does its thing,” Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services said this morning on social media. “Avoid travel if possible. If not, go extra slow.”

Arlington’s schools are closed today in favor of all virtual learning. ART buses are running on a limited schedule due to the weather. More snow is possible throughout the day.

Kids are not the only ones enjoying playing in the snow. This morning, School Board member Barbara Kanninen posted a video of a playful fox frolicking through the snow in north Arlington.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Virtual Learning Day for In-Person Students — “Due to inclement weather, tomorrow, Tue, Feb. 2, Level 1 students receiving in-person learning support will temporarily revert to distance learning, and the return date for Level 2 Career & Technical Education students will be Feb. 3, depending on weather.” [Twitter]

Limited Service for ART Buses — “Tuesday, Feb. 2: Due to ongoing inclement weather, ART will operate *Limited* service on Tuesday, February 2. All routes will operate regular weekday schedules, but delays are possible and some routes will detour. Additional alerts will be sent if conditions should change during the day.” [Arlington Transit]

More Snow Today — “Snow showers of varying intensity could continue at times into Tuesday. Bursts of snow reduce visibility at times and re-coat roads. Temperatures at or below freezing mean untreated surfaces will remain slick. Additional accumulation in the immediate area should range from a coating to a couple inches through Tuesday.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Arlington GOP Pressing for School Openings — “Whether the prime consideration is public policy, pure politics or (most likely) a combination of the two, Arlington Republicans appear to see an opening in forcefully questioning the county school system’s lackadaisical back-to-class efforts. Keeping students out of classrooms for months on end is ‘destroying the lives of our children – it’s just failing them miserably,’ Arlington GOP chairman Andrew Loposser thundered.” [InsideNova]

Food Program Changes Hands —  “This month, the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) will transition ownership of its Plot Against Hunger program to the Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA). Since its inception in 2007, over 600,000 pounds of fresh produce has been donated to AFAC through the Plot Against Hunger program.” [Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture]

More Capitol Rioters Who Stayed in Arlington — “Two more Kentucky residents have been charged federally in the U.S. Capitol riot that killed five people… According to the criminal complaint against Crase and Williams, the two drove to Washington with a third person, a witness not named in the complaint, and arrived at their hotel in Arlington, Virginia, just after midnight Jan. 6.” [Louisville Courier Journal]

Red Hot and Blue Pitmaster Dies — “Ernest McKnight, the pitmaster and executive chef who helped grow Red Hot & Blue from a Rosslyn, Virginia, barbecue joint to an international chain in the 90s, died of lung cancer January 17. He was 74.” [Eater]

New Metro Lost and Found Policy — “Starting March 1, DC Metro says the ONLY lost-and-found items it will help customers reclaim are wallets and electronics. Metro says the rest (see sampling in current list below) will be trashed or auctioned off.” [Twitter, WMATA]

ACFD Responded to Sledding Crash, Gym Accident This Afternoon

By ARLnow.com

A relatively slow snow day for public safety personnel got busier this afternoon after a pair of significant emergency incidents occurred within 15 minutes of one another.

First, firefighters responded to the grounds of Missionhurst, a church facility near Marymount University, for a report of a 12-year-old who had suffered a head injury after sledding into a tree. The call was soon upgraded from a standard injury response to a technical rescue due to the terrain.

“At 1:59 p.m. we received a 911 call for a child that struck a tree while sledding at 4651 25th St N.,” said Arlington County Fire Department spokesperson Taylor Blunt. “Initial crews arrived within four minutes and requested the technical rescue team due to the patient’s location at the bottom of a snowy hill.”

“Crews provided initial treatment and used a haul system to move the immobilized patient up the hill to an ambulance,” Blunt continued. “The patient was transported to a local trauma center with non-life threatening injuries.”

Soon thereafter came another significant incident: someone at a gym in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center near Crystal City had reportedly severed two fingers after getting them caught in exercise equipment.

“At 2:13 p.m. we received a 911 call at 2955 S. Glebe Road for a patient suffering from a partial amputation to their hand,” Blunt said. “Crews arrived within four minutes and provided bleeding control techniques to stabilize the injury. The patient was transported to a local trauma center in stable condition.”

The address corresponds to that of a Gold’s Gym and a chiropractic and physical therapy office.

File photo

Columbia Pike Businesses Tested by Winter Weather, Pandemic

By Matt Blitz
1/7

After Arlington’s biggest snowfall since early 2019, the continued winter weather hasn’t been kind to some Columbia Pike businesses already dealing with a pandemic.

Along the Pike, sidewalks remained covered in snow, slush, and salt — as sleet intermediately fell from the sky earlier this afternoon.

A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until Tuesday morning and a mixture of sleet, freezing rain, and snow is expected to continue throughout the day and into the evening.

Sofonias Gebretsadick, co-owner of Idido’s Coffee near the intersection of Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive, says that the poor weather has impacted his business.

“Sunday… and today, it’s slow,” Gebretsadick tells ARLnow. “When the weather isn’t good, we don’t have much foot traffic.”

This is the coffee shop’s first time experiencing measurable snow. It opened in late February 2019, a week after the last time Arlington had at least two inches of snow.

In general, he says, winter has been his least profitable season, but last year’s warmer winter muted the impact.

Of course this past year, right when the weather turned, the pandemic hit. It was a rough March and April, Gebretsadick says, but summer sales were much better.

This winter, between the cold, continued high number of COVID-19 cases, and now the weather, that hasn’t remained the case, he said.

Down the Pike, Burritos Bros was also seeing a decline in normal business due to the snow and ice.

At about 12:30 p.m., the normal steady stream of lunch customers — which has remained even during the pandemic — were nowhere to be found at the local burrito stand, located in a CVS parking lot.

Co-owner Richard Arnez says that between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. is when they typically get customers. But not today.

“It’s been a lot slower today because of the weather,” he says pointing out the window.

He lives near Annandale and said the commute to Arlington this morning wasn’t bad, as the roads were clear of both snow and traffic.

Arnez, too, says while his business has adjusted, the pandemic has continued to take a bite out of the restaurant’s business. And winter weather is certainly not helping.

Back at Idido’s, a bag of salt sits at the door. Despite being cleared earlier, Gebretsadick said the continued precipitation all day has built up a layer of ice on the sidewalk that’s hard to remove. He put down salt himself and is already onto bag number two from Costco.

Gebretsadick went outside in the snow for a bit yesterday with his kids at his Maryland home. They had fun, he says, while he sipped coffee.

But, then, it was back to work today.

Arlington Under Winter Weather Advisory Amid Slippery Conditions

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) Freezing temperatures and frozen precipitation overnight has made for slippery conditions around Arlington Monday morning.

With many locals working from home already, traffic around Arlington is light. Thanks to the efforts of snow crews, main roads are mostly wet and side streets have been treated. Few crashes have been reported since sunrise, but that might also be attributable to people staying at home.

Still, caution is being urged.

“Overnight crews have been treating known slick areas but caution is advised for those who must drive this morning. Go slow,” wrote Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services this morning.

County crews are currently in Phase 4 of the snow removal effort, “following up on problem areas, schools and other county facilities.” Many sidewalks, including those maintained by the county, are icy and treacherous.

https://twitter.com/NicoleMerleneVA/status/1356253856959750146

Both Arlington Transit and Metro buses are operating on modified schedules.

Due to the wintry conditions, residential trash and recycling collection has been cancelled today. Collection will resume tomorrow and take place a day after one’s normal waste collection day.

Another cancellation today: vaccine appointments. While the county worked throughout the weekend to reschedule the appointments of those formerly set to receive vaccines from Virginia Hospital Center, another round of cancellations is taking place today due to the weather.

“Due to the impending winter weather, the Arlington vaccine clinics scheduled for Monday, February 1 have been cancelled in the interest of client and staff safety,” says the county’s website. “ALL individuals who have scheduled times for Monday WILL be rescheduled as early as possible.”

That prompted the following Twitter exchange with County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti this morning.

Arlington Public Schools, meanwhile, has been mostly operating remotely, but even virtual students are not attending classes today as a result of a pre-scheduled grade preparation day. APS buildings, nonetheless, are closed for sports and other activities due to the weather.

While the bulk of the precipitation fell on Sunday, Arlington may see a bit more later today. A Winter Weather Advisory has been extended until 9 a.m. Tuesday, with forecasters warning of continued slippery conditions outside.

More from the National Weather Service:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM EST TUESDAY…

* WHAT…MIXED PRECIPITATION. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO TWO INCHES AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO ONE TENTH OF AN INCH.

* WHERE…THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, PORTIONS OF CENTRAL, NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA.

* WHEN…UNTIL 9 AM EST TUESDAY.

* IMPACTS…PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS COULD IMPACT THE MORNING OR EVENING COMMUTE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING.

WHEN VENTURING OUTSIDE, WATCH YOUR FIRST FEW STEPS TAKEN ON STEPS, SIDEWALKS, AND DRIVEWAYS, WHICH COULD BE ICY AND SLIPPERY, INCREASING YOUR RISK OF A FALL AND INJURY.

Yesterday’s snowfall was Arlington’s biggest in two years, despite clocking in at a disappointing two inches of accumulation. It did, however, lead to plenty of outdoor fun for cooped-up kids, and some beautiful scenes across the county, like the one below.

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