Arlington County snow plow working to clear a neighborhood street (via Arlington DES/X)
As the snow removal operations from the Jan. 25 snow and sleet storm wind down, we’re wondering how locals would grade the effort.
This winter storm was uniquely challenging, with five inches of snow falling before getting covered by 2-3 inches of icy sleet — what would have otherwise been 1-2 feet of total accumulation should it have kept falling as snow. Then we had nearly 10 straight days of frigid conditions, with temperatures not rising above freezing and allowing the “snowcrete” to soften.
The scale of the removal operation in Arlington alone is notable. From our reporting yesterday:
Crews have hauled more than 5,000 truckloads of snow — weighing roughly 55,000-75,000 tons, in total — from Arlington’s commercial areas since the snowstorm. They’ve deposited these at five locations around Arlington, at 14th Street N., Fairfax Drive, N. Quincy Street, Long Bridge Park and 601 S. Carlin Springs. […]
They’ve cleared more than 1,000 miles of roads, 10 miles of protected bike lanes and 63,000 feet of sidewalk, working 14 consecutive 12-hour shifts beginning on Jan. 24.
For some, the effort did not go far enough, leaving neighborhood streets covered to harden into an impassable icy surface that remained for days. For others, crews worked long hours and did their best despite very challenging conditions.
All things considered, how would you grade Arlington’s snow removal effort?
A still snow-covered sidewalk near Claremont Elementary (courtesy Joel Weger)
School buses are crisscrossing county streets and students are steeling themselves for the first day of school in 11 days.
Yes, class is back in session this morning for Arlington Public Schools students, to the great relief of many beleaguered parents.
The decision to keep schools shuttered all last week, while piles of “snowcrete” covered the sidewalks (and in some cases, roads) near schools, prompted acceptance from some and grumbles from others. Why, some asked, had conditions around schools not been addressed earlier in the week, potentially making it harder to clear now?
The grumbles grew louder this week, amid Monday’s closure and today’s two-hour delay. Some questioned whether it’s even safe now for kids to go back.
“As of 7:30 A.M. there is no safe approach to Claremont Elementary or Wakefield High School from S Columbus St.,” local resident Joel Weger wrote this morning. “There has been no snow cleared on S. Chesterfield Rd for the entire length of school property. For Claremont snow has been cleared from only one side of the school.”
That was echoed by another local resident who lives near Wakefield.
“I’m not a parent but I see the kids walking to school everyday and parents taking their littles ones to the bus pick up spots,” wrote Julia Itani. “While walking my dog in the neighborhood there were many times I almost fell and we couldn’t walk safely. I can’t imagine students walking every morning while there’s piles of ice.”
Others suggested that a loss of learning outweighs what they see as marginal safety improvements from keeping schools closed longer. Even today’s delay was too much for some.
“I am writing to express my deep disappointment and continued frustration with the county’s repeated school closures and delayed openings due to snow and ice,” wrote Gregory Cohen, a “concerned and gobsmacked parent,” in an email this morning. It was one of several addressed to the County Board and School Board that ARLnow was CCed on in recent days.
“From a parent’s perspective, these decisions do not appear to be data-driven, outcome-oriented, or transparent. Delays in particular seem to accomplish little beyond creating unnecessary hardship for working families,” Cohen wrote. “A two-hour delay does not meaningfully improve road conditions, does not reduce childcare challenges, and often results in the same ultimate outcome: lost instructional time with no measurable safety benefit.”
What do you think — did APS strike the right balance by staying closed for five school days (Friday was a scheduled off day) and opening on a delay today? (Neighboring Fairfax notably took the same approach.)
Or should schools have opened up earlier? Or stayed closed longer? Let us know below.
Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 140th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast six more weeks of winter. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
After a frigid and snow covered past week and a half — and yet another APS snow day — you might be ready for a big warm-up.
Bad news: we have at least another week of mostly freezing temperatures, according to the forecast, and six more weeks of winter, according to Punxsutawney Phil.
The groundhog saw his shadow this morning in the woods of Pennsylvania.
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of wintry weather Monday, a forecast sure to disappoint many after what’s already been a long, cold season across large parts of the United States.
His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was translated by his handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania.
The news was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the tens of thousands who braved temperatures in the single-digits Fahrenheit to await the annual prognostication. The extreme cold kept the crowd bundled up and helped keep people on the main stage dancing.
Usually guests can come up on stage and take pictures of Phil after his prediction, but this year the announcer said it was too cold for that and his handlers were afraid to keep him out too long. Instead, the audience was asked to come to the stage, turn around and “do a selfie.”
The club says that when Phil is deemed to have not seen his shadow, that means there will be an early spring. When he does see it, it’s six more weeks of winter. Phil tends to predict a longer winter far more often than an early spring.
Is cabin fever setting in, after one of the longest stretches of very cold temperatures in recent memory? Are you in desperate need of a warm weather escape while winter still rages here in Arlington?
While you might be more focused on preparing for snow and keeping warm than looking ahead at summertime, now is the time to be thinking about summer camps in Arlington.
If your New Year’s resolution was to get more fit, Arlington has plenty of personal trainers to help.
Whether you’re looking to build strength, improve your endurance or finally nail that perfect form, Arlington has no shortage of skilled trainers ready to push you to meet your goals.
As the end of the year approaches, this week we’re taking a step back to look at something many residents say they love about Arlington: its community.
Year after year, Arlington’s community events help to bring people together and offer an opportunity to share in experiences that can’t be found anywhere else.
Here are the nominees for “The Best Community Event in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Did we miss your favorite event? Write it in!
Voting will close in two weeks.
Voting for Best Spa in Arlington is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 8:30 a.m.
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.
From Lebanese falafel and kabob to Turkish doner, Arlington’s Middle Eastern restaurants offer an array of flavors to match the county’s multicultural diversity.
Here are the nominees for “The Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in Arlington” as part of our ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Did we miss your favorite spot for Middle Eastern food? Write it in!
