The D.C. area is under a Winter Weather Advisory tonight as an approaching storm is expected to drop snow, sleet and freezing rain on the region.

Forecasters say the precipitation will begin around 11:00 tonight, starting off as snow and sleet before transitioning to freezing rain overnight. The weather event is expected to end as plain rain around 1:00 p.m. tomorrow. Locally, snow and sleet accumulation could total up to an inch, with up to 1/10 inch of freezing rain, according to the National Weather Service.

Arlington County crews are preparing for the winter weather by pre-treating main roads with salt brine (see photo) to guard against icy conditions. Still, the county is asking residents to avoid unnecessary car trips during the storm.

“Team members and their equipment will be on standby overnight and will remain so until the weather event turns to full rain,” said  Arlington Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel. “Residents are encouraged to stay off the roads due to the potential for hazardous conditions.”

Photo courtesy Arlington DES

Last night’s inch or so of snow accumulation was just enough for some industrious individuals to use to build a snowman on Prospect Hill, near Pentagon City.

With his Prospect Hill Park home overlooking the Pentagon and Air Force Memorial, the snowman will be able to take in some great views before he melts amid today’s mild temperatures, which are expected to reach the mid-50s.

Courtesy photo

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) Normally, a few non-accumulating snow flurries in mid-January wouldn’t be the least bit notable. But given the anemic winter we’ve had thus far, we thought the brief bout of snow activity spotted around Arlington this afternoon was worth a mention.

Forecasters say the flakes could last a couple more hours, and could create a light coating on grassy areas, especially for points south of Arlington.

Don’t expect a triumphant return of winter weather just yet, however. High temperatures are expect to head back up to the mid-50′s by mid-week.

ARLnow.com wishes you and yours a very merry Christmas. Since it couldn’t be a white Christmas this year, we decided to remind everybody of what Arlington looks like under a foot or two of freshly-fallen snow. The photo above was taken on Feb. 6, 2010, during the famous “Snowmaggedon” snow storm.

ARLnow.com will return for regularly-scheduled news updates on Tuesday.

With talk of some snowflakes in the forecast tonight, Arlington County picked a good day to debut a new web portal called “Arlington Snow and Ice Central.”

The website offers one-stop shopping for residents seeking more information on winter weather preparations, winter weather safety tips, road condition and snow plowing updates, and answers to snow removal ordinance questions. The site also links to the county’s snow issue reporting page.

One of the new features introduced with the new portal is a “snow phase system,” which will designate how far along the county is in its snow clearing efforts after a storm. The page will indicate whether the county is in Phase 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Phase 1 is the “Alert” phase, when snow crews are pre-treating roads and residents are being encouraged to park their cars off-street, if possible.

Phase 2 is the “Primary Routes” phase, when the storm is in progress or has just concluded. In this phase, county and VDOT crews are working to clear primary and secondary roads only. Residents are encouraged to stay off the roads and help clear sidewalks during this phase.

Phase 3 is the “Residential Streets” phase, when crews are working to make residential streets passable while widening the clear path on primary roads.

Phase 4, the “Clean Up” phase, is when crews will focus on removing ice and slush from roads while using the sun as a tool for melting leftover snow.

Arlington County said it’s ready to respond should winter weather strike.

“When forecasters predict winter weather — snow, ice or freezing rain — Arlington’s plows and salt trucks are prepped and ready to go,” the county said in a press release. “Residents, at any time, can check the storm’s progress, track the County’s efforts to clear streets of snow, and learn how to best prepare for the winter weather. The current phase will be posted on the County web site and social media channels.”

The “S” word has been on the lips of many in the metro area this week. That’s right, much to the chagrin of many residents, there’s a slight chance we’ll get a rare October snowfall.

Coincidentally, Arlington County started its annual snow training this week. Workers have been hooking up trucks, doing some trial runs and making sure all equipment is ready for the season.

Water, Sewer and Streets Bureau Chief Operating Engineer Dave Hundelt said, “Conveniently we get a random forecast for flurries or light rain/snow and overnight temps right near freezing for this weekend.”

Hundelt says Arlington doesn’t plan on mobilizing its plow or salting teams this weekend because the pavement temperatures will remain well above freezing. That prevents any precipitation from sticking to the ground or causing major driving issues. However, if the forecast changes and conditions worsen, crews could be expected to mobilize.

Currently, Arlington is not included in the winter storm watches or warnings issued by the National Weather Service for many surrounding counties. Although that could change, right now there is only a chance for a light snow shower or a rain/snow mix around here. Due to the uncertainty of the storm, most weather experts are putting the chances of snow on Saturday around 50-50.

Fall snowstorms are worrisome because trees haven’t yet shed all their leaves, making the branches heavy and susceptible to snapping off as a result of accumulation. This traditionally makes autumn snow more dangerous than winter storms.

The last time the metro area experienced a significant snowstorm in October was back on October 10, 1979.

Last night’s sleet and snow seems to have pulled off the trick of actually improving traffic.

Right now it’s clear sailing in Arlington on I-395, I-66, Route 1, Route 50 and Columbia Pike. Traffic volume has remained light and no major problems are reported.

Many side streets are still covered in a thin frozen glaze, but are passable.

The storm, which left less than an inch of accumulation, prompted Arlington Public Schools to open on a two-hour delay. The county and federal governments are open with an option for unscheduled leave or telework.

Update at 4:20 p.m. — Crews are now planning on treating Arlington’s roads starting at some point between 9:00 and 10:00 tonight, as rain changes to sleet. Officials say commuters should expect wet main roads and slushy side roads in time for the morning rush. The warmth over the past couple of days means that road temperatures are well above freezing, which should help to melt some of the accumulation, officials say.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory as a storm closes in on the Washington area. Local accumulations of 2-5 inches are expected as rain changes over to sleet and snow overnight.

An Arlington County official tells ARLnow.com that crews are preparing for a “light snow” event. So far, there is no plan in place to pre-treat roads. The response may be upgraded now that the advisory has been issued.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM EST TUESDAY.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… WINTRY MIX OF RAIN AND SLEET CHANGING OVER TO SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS… 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET.

* TIMING… A MIX OF RAIN AND SLEET WILL BEGIN LATE THIS EVENING… THEN CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW AROUND MIDNIGHT… AND CONTINUE THROUGH DAWN. HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL BE BETWEEN 1 AM AND 4 AM.

* TEMPERATURES… TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 30S THIS EVENING… DROPPING TO THE UPPER 20S BY TUESDAY MORNING.

* WINDS… NORTHEAST 15 TO 25 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW… SLEET… OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES… AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

Update at 12:05 p.m. — The county has informed us that the previous numbers we were given were wrong. The article now reflects the updated numbers.

Last week’s snow and ice storm has resulted in a total of 679 complaints to Arlington County through its new Report a Snow Issue form, according to the county’s Department of Environmental Services.

As of last night, here’s the breakdown of what citizens are reporting:

• 406 — This street has never been plowed or needs additional plowing
• 189 — Sidewalk concern
• 52 — Other
• 32 — This street is icy

By comparison, TBD reported that 30 complaints were submitted after 2-3 inches of snow fell on Dec. 16.

The county’s new snow removal ordinance says that snow and ice must be removed from public sidewalks 24 hours after precipitation stops falling. So far, however, no fines have been issued as a result of the ordinance.

“Our collective focus this year has been on education and compliance,” said Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Myllisa Kennedy. “To date, there have not been any civil infractions issued according to Code Enforcement.”

With many side streets still snow-covered, with power still out in many areas, and with a refreeze predicted tonight, Arlington County Schools have decided to remain closed Friday.

It’s the third day in a row that schools have been affected by weather. Schools were closed Thursday and let out two hours early on Wednesday.

Although schools will be closed, administrative offices remain open.

Drive across the county today and you see the same scene repeated over again.

Tree limbs down the the score. Fallen utility lines coned off and marked with orange flags. Neighbors out with shovels and snow blowers. Kids, off from school, toting around plastic sleds. Stretches where power and traffic lights were out (including a busy section of Lee Highway between Kirkwood and Veitch). Police and firefighters responding to call after call after call.

In the aftermath of what caused so much frustration last night were more glimpses of the good that snow brings out in many of us. On side streets, many of those neighbors with shovels and snow blowers were out helping to clear the still un-plowed roads. Others could be seen clearing public sections of sidewalk so others didn’t have to walk in the street.

From reader Ann B.:

I have to give a shout out to two great neighbors today.

I’ve lived near the corner of N. Adams and Lee HWY for over 6 years now. This morning, two neighborhood guys actually shoveled the snow from the southeast corner to the bus shelter on Lee. This is one of the few times this has ever happened in 6 years.

I had a young one with me and it made all the difference. It’s nice to see neighbors giving a hand!

(Reminder: Per the county’s snow removal ordinance, property owners must clear their sidewalks by early tomorrow morning.)

Although it was difficult to find a navigable place to park in many parts of the county, here are some of the photos we managed to snap around North Arlington this afternoon.

It has been about 16 hours since the snow stopped falling, yet firefighters are still responding to non-stop calls of wires and trees down around the county. The workload speaks to just how widespread the damage from last night’s snow storm really was.

Dominion has been out in force, working furiously to restore service to the thousands of customers who lost power last night. As of 3:45 p.m., the number without power in Arlington has been cut to 6,700 — down from 16,700 last night.

Most Dominion customers in Arlington should have their power restored at some point tonight. Still, Dominion says 10 percent of affected customers will have to wait until Friday night for the lights to come back on. And the company doesn’t expect to have power restored to all Northern Virginia customers until Saturday.

“We have about 2,000 workers engaged in our restoration effort, including crews from Eastern and Central Virginia and North Carolina assisting in Northern Virginia,” Dominion executive Rodney Blevins said in a statement. “Please stay clear of downed lines and use extreme caution if you must be on the roads where snow, abandoned vehicles and downed trees could be affecting traffic patterns.”

More than 300 bucket trucks are working to restore power to the nearly 192,000 Northern Virginia customers who lost power last night, Dominion said.