Heavy rains and severe storms may make for a challenging evening commute today (Monday).

The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch, warning of 1-2 inches of rain or more this evening. (See below.)

NWS and local authorities are also cautioning that some storms today may be severe.

The Flash Flood Watch:

… FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WATCH… * FROM 3 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING * A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS FRONT SOME OF WHICH COULD PRODUCE INTENSE RAINFALL RATES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE WHICH COULD RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING. * FLASH FLOODING OF CREEKS, STREAMS AND ROADWAYS WILL BE POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED. &&


Update at 9:10 p.m. — The Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been cancelled.

Earlier: The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Arlington, in effect until 11 p.m.

NWS said a line of showers and thunderstorms are moving west, and have the potential to bring strong to damaging gusts of wind this evening.


Update at 5:45 p.m. — A Wind Advisory has been issued for Arlington and the region. From the National Weather Service:

… WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST THURSDAY… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST THURSDAY. * TIMING… LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH MID-MORNING THURSDAY. * WINDS… WEST TO NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 50 TO 55 MPH. * IMPACTS… STRONG WINDS MAY BLOW DOWN LIMBS, TREES, AND POWER LINES. SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. &&

(more…)


Arlington County and much of the D.C. area is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch through 11 p.m.

Storms are currently forming to the west and are expected to make their way through the metro area later today, though the storms may be scattered.


(Updated at 3 p.m.) Arlington County is under Severe Thunderstorm and Flash Flood watches.

The Severe Thunderstorm watch is set to expire at midnight. The Flash Flood Watch is expected to run until tomorrow morning.

Forecasters say strong storms could hit the D.C. area this afternoon and evening.

From the National Weather Service:

DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RESIDENTS ALL ACROSS THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON DC METRO AREAS…NORTH AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA…MUCH OF MARYLAND AND THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE SHOULD MONITOR THIS SITUATION VERY CLOSELY AND ENSURE YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIOS ARE SET TO ALERT MODE. SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS MAY BECOME NECESSARY. HERE ARE SOME SAFETY RULES TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED OR IS OCCURRING.

IF A WARNING IS ISSUED…SEEK SHELTER INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS DEFINED AS PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE OR GREATER HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR MORE.


Lightning over D.C., as seen from Arlington (Flickr pool photo by Joseph Gruber)

Update at 4:15 p.m. — The storm is arriving.

Update at 4:05 p.m. — A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has now been issued.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FROM 3:45PM EDT MON UNTIL 4:30PM EDT MON

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… SOUTHWESTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… NORTHWESTERN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE NORTH CENTRAL CITY OF MANASSAS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… NORTHWESTERN ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… SOUTHEASTERN LOUDOUN COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF MANASSAS PARK IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FAIRFAX IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… NORTH CENTRAL FAUQUIER COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…

* UNTIL 430 PM EDT

* AT 345 PM EDT… SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BROADLANDS TO NEAR HAYMARKET… MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

HAZARD… 60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

SOURCE… RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT… DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS… AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON… GERMANTOWN… CENTREVILLE… ROCKVILLE… BETHESDA… GAITHERSBURG… RESTON… LEESBURG… ANNANDALE… OLNEY… SPRINGFIELD… SOUTH RIDING… HERNDON… FAIRFAX… VIENNA… FALLS CHURCH… BROADLANDS… LANSDOWNE… LOWES ISLAND AND BRAMBLETON. GET INDOORS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM WIND AND LIGHTNING. TREES AROUND YOU MAY BE DOWNED FROM DAMAGING WINDS… SO IF YOU ARE NEAR LARGE TREES… MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. DON’T DRIVE UNDERNEATH TREES OR IN WOODED AREAS UNTIL THE THREAT HAS PASSED.

Arlington County and surrounding areas are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch through 8 p.m. tonight.

The National Weather Service says damaging storms are possible.

From NWS:

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FROM 1:45PM EDT MON UNTIL 8PM EDT MON

VA . VIRGINIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ARLINGTON CLARKE CULPEPER FAIRFAX FAUQUIER FREDERICK GREENE KING GEORGE LOUDOUN MADISON ORANGE PAGE PRINCE WILLIAM RAPPAHANNOCK ROCKINGHAM SHENANDOAH SPOTSYLVANIA STAFFORD WARREN

VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE

ALEXANDRIA FAIRFAX FALLS CHURCH FREDERICKSBURG HARRISONBURG MANASSAS MANASSAS PARK WINCHESTER

DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RESIDENTS ALL ACROSS THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON DC METRO AREAS…NORTH AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA…MUCH OF MARYLAND AND PARTS OF THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE SHOULD MONITOR THIS SITUATION VERY CLOSELY AND ENSURE YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIOS ARE SET TO ALERT MODE. SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS MAY BECOME NECESSARY. HERE ARE SOME SAFETY RULES TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED OR IS OCCURRING.

IF A WARNING IS ISSUED…SEEK SHELTER INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. A SEVERE  THUNDERSTORM IS DEFINED AS PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE OR GREATER HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR MORE.

Flickr pool photo by Joseph Gruber


Arlington County is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch tonight.

Forecasters say severe storms are “likely” late this afternoon and early this evening.

From the National Weather Service:

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR THE OUTLOOK AREA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT.


Arlington County is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch through 10 p.m. tonight.

The National Weather Service says that isolated severe storms with gusty winds and heavy rains are possible.

ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA INCLUDING THE WATERS. LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE THE PRIMARY THREAT.

LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IF REPETITIVE OR PERSISTENT THUNDERSTORMS OCCUR…ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING COULD OCCUR…PARTICULARLY IN URBAN AREAS.


Update at 5:55 p.m. — A Flash Flood Warning has also been issued for the area, through 8:45 p.m.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING

* UNTIL 845 PM EDT

* AT 551 PM EDT…DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING
HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE AREA. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN
SHORTLY.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE… ARLINGTON…ALEXANDRIA…BETHESDA…ANNANDALE…CLINTON… SPRINGFIELD…FORT WASHINGTON…FAIRFAX…FORT HUNT…VIENNA… GROVETON…FORESTVILLE…FALLS CHURCH…HUNTINGTON…LARGO… CORAL HILLS…BLADENSBURG…MANTUA…FORT BELVOIR AND PIMMIT HILLS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

TURN AROUND…DON`T DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD
DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES.

Update at 5:40 p.m. — Another Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Arlington.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FROM 5:31PM EDT TUE UNTIL 6:15PM EDT TUE

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR… FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FAIRFAX IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…

* UNTIL 615 PM EDT

* AT 531 PM EDT… A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTH RIDING… MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

HAZARD… 70 MPH WIND GUSTS AND HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE… RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT… DAMAGING WINDS WILL CAUSE SOME TREES AND LARGE BRANCHES TO FALL. THIS COULD INJURE THOSE OUTDOORS… AS WELL AS DAMAGE HOMES AND VEHICLES. ROADWAYS MAY BECOME BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES. LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. UNSECURED LIGHT OBJECTS MAY BECOME PROJECTILES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE… ARLINGTON… ALEXANDRIA… CENTREVILLE… RESTON… ANNANDALE… SPRINGFIELD… FAIRFAX… FORT HUNT… VIENNA… GROVETON… FALLS CHURCH… HUNTINGTON… MANTUA… FORT BELVOIR… PIMMIT HILLS… CRYSTAL CITY… REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT… MCLEAN… ROSSLYN AND BURKE. GET INDOORS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM WIND AND LIGHTNING. TREES AROUND YOU MAY BE DOWNED FROM DAMAGING WINDS… SO IF YOU ARE NEAR LARGE TREES… MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. DON’T DRIVE UNDERNEATH TREES OR IN WOODED AREAS UNTIL THE THREAT HAS PASSED.

Update at 2:25 p.m. — Arlington is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning through 3:15 p.m.

Earlier: Arlington is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

The watch is in effect until 9 p.m. tonight for much of the Mid-Atlantic region.

The National Weather Service says that isolated severe thunderstorms may produce “damaging winds and large hail” this afternoon and evening.


Arlington and the rest of the D.C. area is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

A line of storms is expected to reach the area around 5 p.m. The watch is in effect until 10 p.m.

From the National Weather Service:

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA UNTIL 10PM. THE MAIN THREAT IS DAMAGING WIND. LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE.

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING OF STREAMS…CREEKS AND URBAN AREAS.


Swiss Time at Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (Courtesy of Eric Kim)(Updated at 12:00 p.m.) Watchstyle, a luxury Swiss watch store, is closing down its store in Ballston Common Mall ahead of major renovations that are coming soon to the aging shopping center.

The store will close this coming Sunday, said owner Eric Kim. He plans to open a new store called Swiss Time in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City five days later on Friday, Oct. 16.

Kim changed the name of the store because the storefront at new location is much more visible to customers walking in the mall, and he wanted to emphasize the Swiss brands of watches he sells, he said.

The new store in the upscale Pentagon City small allows Kim to sell some of his higher-end luxury Swiss watches, he said. Watchstyle was already one of the most expensive stores in Ballston Common Mall without selling his full stock. At Swiss Time, watches will be priced at anywhere from a couple hundred to thousands of dollars.

Despite the new location and new name, Kim plans to honor warranties on watches bought in Ballston, and customer service will stay the same, he said.

“I worked very hard to be the only five-star rated watch store in Arlington, and I plan on keeping it that way,” Kim said.

The watch store owner plans to return to Ballston Common Mall once the mall is renovated. He anticipates opening his second Swiss Time around April 2018 in Ballston.

“The Ballston mall management has been very kind to me,” he said.


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