Police have released surveillance images of the two masked men who robbed a BB&T bank in Rosslyn yesterday afternoon, just two hours before the snow started falling.
Police say a portion of the money was recovered thanks to a dye pack, which exploded as the men fled the scene.
There are now just under 13,000 Dominion customers without power, a number that seems to keep falling.
Highways like I-66 and I-395, which were jammed last night with traffic, snow and disabled and crashed vehicles, are now clear. Most major local county roads are clear. But many side streets remain impassable, either because of snow or downed trees. A big test will come in the next hour, as federal employees — currently on a two-hour delay — start heading to work.
Power Expected to Be Restored This Afternoon — As of 1:00 a.m., Dominion was reporting that about 16,700 customers in Arlington — nearly 20 percent of all customers in the county — were without power. That number is now down to 13,350. Throughout Northern Virginia, 138,000 Dominion customers lost power after the storm. The company expects to have power restored to most locations in Arlington between 4:00 and 6:00 this afternoon.
Pike Gym Opens at Last — The World Gym at Columbia Pike and South Walter Reed Drive has opened after a three-week delay in construction and permits. [Pike Wire]
Drivers have been stuck on the George Washington Parkway for 5-6 hours now, according to various reports from Twitter.
The fact that there are no traffic cameras along the parkway has made it difficult to see exactly what’s going on, but Twitter users are reporting that downed trees are blocking all northbound and southbound lanes.
Arlington Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 27, the school system announced tonight.
Administrative offices will be open.
Update at 10:00 p.m. — There are now more than 13,400 Dominion customers without power in Arlington.
Heavy, wet snow is continuing to fall in the area, knocking down trees and power lines and grinding traffic to a halt.
Cars were getting stuck on the snowy, hilly section of the Pike near Washington Boulevard. Traffic was backed up before the hill as a result. On Washington Boulevard, traffic was at a standstill.
Residents were streaming up the sidewalks of the Pike from the Pentagon City area. Some were stopping to help push stranded cars up the street. Others were talking on their phones, trying to provide directions to loved ones who were stuck in traffic.
Update at 7:00 p.m. — Downed power lines and falling tree limbs are being reported throughout the area. Dominion is reporting more than 1,200 customers without power in Arlington. Dominion spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson tells WUSA 9 that it may take more time than usual to restore power due to gridlock on local streets and highways.
Update at 6:10 p.m. — Traffic is at a dead stop on westbound I-66 from the District to Spout Run.
Highways leading out of the District of Columbia are thick with traffic as a steady rain starts to change over to a slippery mix of sleet and snow.
Southbound I-395 and westbound I-66 are both jammed.
(Updated at 3:05 p.m.) An armed robbery has been reported at the BB&T Bank in Rosslyn.
Initial reports suggest two men robbed the bank, located on the 1900 block of Fort Myer Drive, around 1:40 p.m. One of the men was armed with a gun, police were told.
VDOT started pre-treating bridges and ramps and other trouble spots on state roads and highways yesterday, according to spokeswoman Joan Morris. Spots on I-66, I-95, I-395 and I-495 were treated with liquid magnesium chloride, while parts of major roads like Route 50 and Route 1 were pre-treated with salt brine.
“Treatment trucks and plows are pre-positioning along interstates, major roads and in subdivisions throughout Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties for quick response,” VDOT said in a statement.
