The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch and a High Wind Watch for tomorrow. Today’s warm weather will give way to colder, windy weather tomorrow. Gusts could reach as high as 60 miles per hour, forecasters say.

HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.

* TIMING…HIGH WINDS WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING…WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS BETWEEN 5 AM AND 7 PM.

* WINDS…GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE RIDGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH…OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

Together with low humidity, the high winds will produce weather favorable for the rapid spread of brush fires.

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The flashing lights on the 14th Street Bridge tonight are not a sign there’s a dance party happening over the Potomac River. Rather, the lights will be flickering on and off as part of the on-going 14th Street Bridge Rehabilitation Project.

DDOT and PEPCO say they’ll be testing power circuits on the bridge between midnight and 2:00 a.m. They’re warning that the testing “will cause streetlights and overhead sign lights to turn off at various times throughout the test period.”

All three spans — northbound, southbound and HOV — will be affected.

The timing, it seems, is a bit unfortunate. The testing will be taking place just as many party-goers start leaving bars and clubs in the District to return home to Virginia.

“Travelers are urged to slow down and use caution on the bridge and the impacted streets during the outage,” Arlington County’s Office of Emergency Management advised this morning.


Update on 10/22 — The advisory has been lifted.

Raw sewage overflowing from a manhole near the Long Branch Nature Center has prompted county authorities to issue a warning about the water in the Upper Long Branch stream and in Four Mile Run from Glencarlyn Park to the Potomac River.

People and animals should avoid contact with both streams until future notice, the county said Friday night. Among the affected areas is the popular Shirlington dog park.

From a county news release:

ARLINGTON, VA – Arlington County advises residents (and their pets) to avoid water downstream of a sewage release in Upper Long Branch stream. The area to avoid begins near the Long Branch Nature Center and continues through Four Mile Run at Glencarlyn Park to the Potomac River. This precautionary measure follows the discovery of sewage discharging from a sanitary sewer manhole near the Long Branch Nature Center on Friday evening, October 15.

Residents are advised to stay away from the affected waters – and also keep their pets away until further notice, to eliminate the risk of exposure to untreated sewage. Residents should not fish in the streams or have any contact with the waters – including wading or swimming – until further notice from the County. The advisory to avoid all contact is considered an extra precaution until the discharge is stopped and to allow the effect of the discharge to be diminished by natural flushing of the streams. The recreational areas affected include the following parks adjacent to the streams: Glencarlyn, Barcroft, Allie Freed, Shirlington, Jennie Dean and Four Mile Run.


Update at 3:45 p.m. — Reports of power outages, trees down and lights on flash around the area. Lights at Clarendon Blvd and Fillmore St and Wilson Blvd and Highland St are flashing.

Update at 4:10 p.m. — The traffic lights at Route 50 and Glebe Road are dark. A wall collapsed in Shirlington as a result of the storm, no injuries. Major backups on South I-395 right now.

Update at 4:15 p.m. — Traffic lights dark at South Joyce St and Army Navy Drive, and on Columbia Pike up to South Scott St. Accident reported at Wilson Blvd and Patrick Henry Drive. Tree down on car on GW Parkway near Marina Drive, two people trapped. Major backups reported on southbound GW Parkway.

Update at 4:20 p.m. — About 11,500 Dominion customers are without power in Arlington. Several county government offices are without power.

Update at 4:40 p.m. — Power flickering on the eastern end of Columbia Pike. Power pole sparking at 10th and Wilson Blvd in Clarendon (h/t @NewsCat_in_DC)

Update at 4:50 p.m. — Lots of trees and wires down reported in the Shirlington area. Tree down on wires at S. Randolph Street and 19th Street.

Firefighters are freeing people from elevators that became stuck as a result of power outages.

Heavy traffic reported on GW Parkway, I-395 and Route 1. Most VDOT traffic cameras in the area are down.

Update at 4:55 p.m. — I-395 is “a parking lot,” avoid at all costs. A county employee is reported to have fell and broke his leg at the county impound lot — possibly storm-related.

Update at 5:00 p.m. — More storms approaching from the west, not as severe as the previous batch (h/t @capitalweather).

NBC4 is reporting a 66 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in Arlington during the storm. NBC4’s Veronica Johnson says the storm cell that moved through Arlington might have produced a tornado in Prince George’s County.

Update at 5:10 p.m. — More than 10,500 Dominion customers still without power.

We’re hearing that both victims in the vehicle that was struck by a tree on the GW Parkway have been extricated from the vehicle. They may not have been trapped, but rescuers were worried about the consequences if they tried to get out before the tree was secured.

Update at 5:25 p.m. — Arlington County’s Emergency Operations Center has been activated. Power outages in Arlington back above 11,500. Heavy damage, including multiple trees down reported at 32nd Street and Stafford Street in Fairlington.

Update at 5:45 p.m. — Extremely heavy traffic throughout the area, including on secondary roads. South Eads Street, Ridge Road, Crystal Drive, eastern end of Columbia Pike all heavy. Parking lot on Route 1. Major delays reported on Blue, Yellow lines.

Update at 5:50 p.m. — Large tree fell onto house on the 2700 block of South Cleveland Street, police report. Structural damage suspected.

Update at 5:55 p.m. — Calling it right now: worst region-wide traffic since the ice storm two years ago.

Update at 6:05 p.m. — The northbound GW Parkway has reopened, but the southbound lanes will remain closed for “a few hours,” Park Police spokesperson tells WTOP.

Update at 6:55 p.m. — More than 12,000 Dominion customers are still without power in Arlington.

Update at 7:10 p.m. — All of Shirlington Village appears to be without power.

Update at 7:25 p.m. — Various news outlets report very heavy damage in the Del Ray section of Alexandria. Close to areas reporting heavy damage in south Arlington.

Update at 8:40 p.m. — There are still calls coming in for people stuck in elevators. Not clear if they’re storm-related. Traffic still slow on southbound I-395 near Shirlington.

Update at 8:55 p.m. — More than 11,500 still without power.

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“Attempt” is a good way to put it. Here’s the Special Weather Statement…

Issued by The National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington, MD
8:24 am EST, Wed., Feb. 10, 2010

… EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS MORNING FOR THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON REGION… THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA…

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. LIFE THREATENING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS HAVE DEVELOPED RAPIDLY ACROSS THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON REGION THIS MORNING.

AT 7:27 AM THIS MORNING… A WIND GUST WAS RECORDED TO 60 MPH AT MANASSAS VIRGINIA. NUMEROUS WIND GUSTS OVER 40 MPH HAVE OBSERVED AROUND THE REGION ALONG WITH WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS.

IF YOU GET STRANDED IN YOUR VEHICLE… DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO WALK FOR ASSISTANCE… YOU CAN QUICKLY BECOME DISORIENTED IN WIND DRIVEN SNOW AND COLD. THIS STORM WILL SUBSIDE EARLY THIS EVENING… SO WAIT IN YOUR CAR FOR EMERGENCY HELP TO ARRIVE. PERIODICALLY RUN YOUR ENGINE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES EACH HOUR FOR HEAT. ENSURE YOUR EXHAUST PIPE IS CLEARED OF SNOW AND ICE. CRACK YOUR WINDOWS TO AVOID CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. TIE A COLORED CLOTH TO YOUR CARS ANTENNA TO BE VISIBLE TO RESCUERS. FROM TIME- TO-TIME… MOVE YOUR ARMS… LEGS… FINGERS… AND TOES TO KEEP BLOOD CIRCULATING.