Preparations are well underway in Arlington for a double dose of snow, starting this afternoon.
County crews have been applying salty “brine lines” on local roads over the past 24+ hours, in anticipation of expected snow squalls during the Friday evening commute.
The National Weather Service just issued the following Special Weather Statement about today’s wintry precipitation, noting that some icy patches are possible tonight as temperatures fall.
1232 PM EST Fri Jan 3 2025
…SNOW AND RAIN SHOWERS WILL IMPACT THE EVENING COMMUTE…
Snow and rain showers are expected through early this evening across the Washington Metropolitan area. Localized bursts of heavier snow showers are possible most likely between 3 PM and 6 PM, where visibility may be reduced to near one-quarter mile and
snowfall may coat roadways.Precipitation will end early this evening, and temperatures will fall below freezing. Any standing water will freeze, but dry and windy conditions should allow most areas to dry out before freezing over.
“Arlington County began brining roadways [Thursday] morning based on the forecast for a wintry mix,” Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Katie O’Brien told ARLnow. “Although temperatures will be in the mid-30s at the start, they will likely go below freezing once the sun goes down [Friday] night.”
“We’re also watching the forecast for Sunday into Monday, which could deliver up to 5 inches of snow based on current forecasts,” O’Brien added. “We expect to fully mobilize with 45 snow plows and contractor support, if needed. Crews will also pre-treat roadways Friday and Saturday.”
Ahead of the Sunday snow, Arlington County has already canceled trash collection for Monday and asked residents to keep trash cans out of the street.
DES sent the following to solid waste collection customers — mostly those who reside in the county’s single-family home neighborhoods — around 12:30 p.m. today.
Curbside trash, recycling and organics collection will be canceled on Monday, Jan. 6, due to inclement weather in the forecast. Special collections (Christmas trees, metal, e-waste and brush) and cart requests will also be canceled for Jan. 6. Curbside collection routes will shift by one day (e.g., Monday routes will be serviced Tuesday, Tuesday routes on Wednesday, and so forth).
Please do not place carts, Christmas trees or other materials at the curb to ensure the safety of snowplow crews and help them make passes more efficient.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.
In Arlington, roads are continuously treated during winter weather events, but plowing begins only when accumulation reaches two inches. Upon the start of plowing, residents can monitor progress on the county’s Snow Activity Map.
The Sunday-to-Monday snowfall is expected to be the debut for the county’s new snowplow names — ‘Taylor Drift,’ ‘Saline Dion,’ etc. — which were announced last month.
The Friday evening snow, meanwhile, has prompted words of caution for drivers from regional authorities.
“Be ready for reduced visibility so be sure to take it slow and give plenty of extra space on the roads,” VDOT’s Northern Virginia office said on social media.
The potential for snow squalls exists tomorrow, especially in the mountains and across northern Maryland.
The snow squalls are expected to be in the vicinity of the metro areas near the evening commute. Currently, confidence in impacts is highest around the Baltimore metro. pic.twitter.com/0A8G4rhMk9
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) January 3, 2025
VDOT is also urging local college students, including those attending Marymount University in Arlington, to bump up campus move-ins for the spring semester to Saturday, avoiding travel on Sunday and Monday.
