Winter Weather Advisory Issued Ahead of Expected Wednesday Snowfall

(Updated at 6:40 p.m.) Arlington will be under a Winter Weather Advisory on Wednesday as a storm system brings periods of rain, snow and possibly ice to the immediate D.C. area.

The advisory was Tuesday afternoon and includes Arlington, Alexandria and D.C., where 1-2 inches of snow is expected to fall amid the mix of precipitation.

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM WEDNESDAY TO 1 AM EST THURSDAY…

* WHAT…MIXED PRECIPITATION EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES. A LIGHT GLAZE OF ICE IS ALSO POSSIBLE ON ELEVATED SURFACES.

* WHERE…IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN VIRGINIA, ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA.

* WHEN…FROM 10 AM WEDNESDAY TO 1 AM EST THURSDAY. SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA BETWEEN 9 AND 11 AM, AND CHANGE TO SLEET AND RAIN DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON. SOME RAIN MAY FREEZE ON ELEVATED SURFACES.

* IMPACTS…PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. THE HAZARDOUS  CONDITIONS COULD IMPACT THE 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 and VDOT crews were applying brine to local roadways today, in anticipation of the winter weather. The county’s real-time snow plow map is expected to be turned on during the snowfall.

With a half-foot or more accumulation expected elsewhere in Northern Virginia, officials are encouraging local residents to stay off the roads if at all possible.

“Virginia State Police is encouraging Virginians to avoid travel if possible during the storm,” spokeswoman Corinne Geller said today.

VSP is “already preparing for the winter weather and will have all available troopers on patrol in order to respond as quickly as possible to traffic crashes, emergencies and disabled motorists,” she said.

Arlington County noted in a press release yesterday that it recently upgraded its snow-clearing equipment.

“In addition to upgrading its entire brine pretreatment mixing, storage (replacement of four 5000-gallon tanks) and loading systems, the County has added two new V-plows and two new extendable plows for better maneuverability on narrow streets, cul-de-sacs and dead ends,” the county said, adding that “Arlington continues to partner with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to ensure the safest possible use of road salt while protecting the region’s watershed.”

In all the county has 46 trucks with plows and salt spreaders.

While the prospect of a snow day may be appealing, Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Francisco Durán said today that students should not expect to get a day off.

“Distance Learning will continue for all students during inclement weather events providing there is no interruption in power or network connectivity,” Durán wrote in a message to families today. “In the event schools and facilities need to close due to an inclement weather event, Level 1 students attending school in-person would temporarily revert to Distance Learning. Distance Learning will follow the normal schedule during inclement weather.”

The school system announced Tuesday evening that buildings will indeed be closed for in-person learning on Wednesday.

Wednesday, December 16, 2020: All APS School Buildings Closed, Offices Open; Distance Learning Continues for All Students
All APS school buildings will be closed on Wednesday, December 16, due to inclement weather. Offices will remain open.

— Arlington Public Schools (@APSVirginia) December 15, 2020

More on the storm from the Capital Weather Gang:

Huge range in conditions from east to west in DC region Wednesday. Flood watch east of I95 for 1-2" of rain. Winter storm warning for I81 for 6-12"+ snow. (2/x) pic.twitter.com/ka9I7AG9T5

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) December 15, 2020