Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. The ARLnow staff byline is used for the Morning Notes and reporting done by an editor or other member of our full-time staff.
Snow on a holly bush in a North Arlington neighborhood (staff photo)
Va. School Ratings — “According to the VDOE, about 1 in 4 public schools in the state are rated as distinguished, or exceeding expectations. Northern Virginia and Southwest Virginia have the highest percentages of top-rated schools at 31 percent and 28 percent, respectively, the data shows. Thirty-eight percent of public schools in Fairfax County and 46 percent in Loudoun County rated as distinguished, while Arlington County saw about 34 percent of schools in the top category.” [Washington Post]
Arlington’s Top Library Books — “2025 was another excellent year for Arlington readers with over 3.6 million checkouts. Arlington’s reading choices span a wide array of genres, including cookbooks, romance novels, biographies and picture books. We listened to eAudiobooks, read on our phones and stacked paper books on our nightstands…Two titles had more than 4,000 checkouts this year: “Onyx Storm” by Rebecca Yarros [and] “The Women” by Kristin Hannah.” [Arlington Public Library]
Teens Hospitalized After Fight — “The two juvenile female victims were outside when the two known juvenile female suspects approached them. Suspect One yelled at Victim One before pulling her to the ground and assaulting her. Victim Two attempted to intervene in the altercation when Suspect Two pulled her to the ground and subsequently assaulted her. The suspects then fled the scene. The victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to an area hospital.” [ACPD]
Some Hopeful Economic Signs — “The government shutdown undoubtedly took a toll on the local economy this fall, but signs are emerging that the economy could be turning a corner after a challenging year marked by mass layoffs of federal workers, diminished local investment and steep declines in awards to government contractors.” [WBJ]
Fatal Crash Near Fairlington — “Around 8 a.m., APD shut down a portion of King Street between Menokin Drive and N. Quaker Lane to respond to the two-vehicle crash. Two men were injured and transported to a hospital, where one of them later died. The other driver remains hospitalized with serious injuries, according to APD.” [ALXnow]
Seven Corners Water Tower Replacement — “Fairfax Water has applied to replace an existing water tank in the Seven Corners Apartment complex (6122 Willston Drive). The application, submitted on Nov. 24, requests that the county grant Fairfax Water the ability to replace a 75-year-old, 200,000-gallon water tank with a 1-million-gallon tank.” [FFXnow]
Mulling Youngkin’s Future — “During an interview with The Associated Press, Youngkin insisted that he’s not looking ahead to after he’s replaced by Democrat Abigail Spanberger next month. But there’s little doubt that he’s been preparing for a post-Trump future that has not yet arrived, leaving someone long considered to be a potential Republican star without a clear next move.” [Associated Press]
It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 37 degrees, accompanied by light and variable winds. The night will be mostly clear, with lows around 28 degrees. [NWS]
Expect sunny skies and a high temperature near 37 degrees, accompanied by light and variable winds. The night will be mostly clear, with lows around 28 degrees, and a south wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” – Herman Melville
Thanks for reading! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum.
Fire vehicles responding to large gas leak along Columbia Pike (via traffic cam)
A number of roads were closed and there were reports of a strong odor of gas near the Pentagon due to a major gas line rupture Monday afternoon.
Initial reports suggest a 12-inch gas line was struck around 1:15 p.m., at the construction site for the Arlington National Cemetery expansion near the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Joyce Street.
Plows clearing snow on Cherry Hill Road (staff photo by James Jarvis)
As Arlington’s fleet of snowplows rumbled to life after this weekend’s snowfall, the vehicles bore a new set of playful names submitted by local residents.
Holiday lights and snow at The Crossing Clarendon (courtesy George Brazier)
Pike Project Approved — “The Arlington County Board gave final approval at its Saturday meeting to a major redevelopment project at 2601 Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia. “The Elliott” will be a 6-story, mixed-use property, with 271 apartments and about 15,000 square feet of retail space. It will replace the Fillmore Gardens shopping center on Columbia Pike, east of Walter Reed Drive.” [WTOP]
Gov. Shares Hanukkah Message — “In moments of darkness, we are reminded that faith, resilience, hope, and joy endure. The story of Hanukkah teaches us that even the smallest light can push back the darkness. As we reflect today, Suzanne and I wish our Jewish neighbors in Virginia and across the nation a safe and meaningful Hanukkah. May this Festival of Lights bring peace, comfort, joy, and renewed hope to you and your families.” [Gov. Glen Youngkin/X]
Police: ‘No Known Threats’ — “Throughout December and the winter holidays, officers are conducting proactive patrols throughout Arlington including conducting extra checks near all places of worship in the County. ACPD continuously monitors critical incidents occurring in the United States and throughout the world and works collaboratively with our law enforcement partners at the local, state and national levels on identifying any possible safety concerns impacting Arlington and our region.” [ACPD/X]
Car Fire on I-395 — “Last night, E109 responded to a vehicle fire on SB I-395 just before Shirlington Circle. Upon arrival, crews found an SUV fully involved in flames. E109 quickly extinguished the fire. There were no injuries to the driver or our firefighters. FMs will be investigating the cause.” [ACFD/X]
It’s Monday — Expect mostly sunny conditions and a high temperature of around 30 degrees during the day, with the northwest wind of 7 to 11 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon. Tonight, there will be partly cloudy skies, with the temperature dropping to a low of about 21 degrees. The south wind will be blowing at 5 to 7 mph before becoming light and variable after midnight. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
Snow along Arlington roadways on Dec. 14, 2025 (via traffic cam)
Main roads and highways around Arlington are mostly clear, after an inch or less of snow fell across the county.
Traffic cameras show mostly wet roads, though many neighborhood streets remain snow-covered after the overnight snowfall. The last of the flakes stopped falling in Arlington around 8 a.m.
The reclining Lady Liberty outside the Museum of Contemporary Art in the snow on Dec. 5, 2025 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)
Arlington and the rest of the immediate D.C. and Baltimore metros are now under a Winter Weather Advisory.
There is now less uncertainty about whether there will be accumulating snowfall. Flakes are set to start flying late Saturday or early Sunday, with 1-3 inches expected to fall by the time the precipitation wraps up Sunday morning.
Expect a mostly cloudy day with a high near 45 and a southwest wind around 6 mph. On Saturday night, snow showers are likely, possibly mixed with rain, before turning into all snow after 4am. The low will be around 29, with calm winds shifting to north at 5 to 8 mph after midnight. The chance of precipitation stands at 80% with new snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches possible. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum. 👋
Whether you’re looking to unwind with a massage, refresh with a facial or treat yourself to a full day of pampering, Arlington has plenty of spas ready to melt your stress away.
Here are the nominees for “The Best Spas in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
