If you have a sidewalk on your property, you now have less than 12 hours to clear away the snow and ice from it.
Arlington’s snow removal ordinance, approved in 2010, gives owners 36 hours to shovel public sidewalks adjacent to their property after a storm with more than six inches of snow accumulation.
(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) The snowflakes are tapering off across Arlington, but police, firefighters and plow crews are still hard at work.
The heavy, wet snow has made vehicle travel treacherous and nearly impossible in certain hilly parts of the county. Even frequently-plowed highways and main routes like I-395, Route 50 and Columbia Pike were impassable at points during the storm.
(Updated at 12:25 p.m.) In the battle between the snow plows and the snow in Arlington, the snow is currently winning.
Heavy, accumulating snow covers roads around Arlington, outpacing the rate by which it can be cleared. Snow crews were reportedly unable to pretreat roads, due to the storm starting as rain.
Update at 3:15 p.m. — Both Arlington County and VDOT say snow crews are preparing for the storm.
“Throughout overnight hours, crews and about 2,200 trucks will be staged and ready to treat roads and plow snow where needed,” VDOT said Sunday afternoon. “Crews will begin to plow once two inches of snow have accumulated.”
Arlington and much of the region will be under a Wind Advisory starting Saturday afternoon.
Unseasonably warm weather in the afternoon — with temperatures as high as 70 degrees — will give way to cooler temperatures, which will be accompanied by gusty winds. Gusts up to 55 mph could snap tree limbs and knock out power.
A warm afternoon will give way to strong winds and colder temperatures tonight.
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for Arlington, D.C. and surrounding areas, cautioning against gusts up to 50 mph. Tree damage and power outages are possible.
The National Weather Service has issued a Special Weather Statement about the strong winds that are currently gusting in Arlington and across the region.
Forecasters are cautioning that the gusts may fell tree branches and cause power outages. The strongest of the gusts are expected through mid-afternoon.
Arlington has been added to an earlier Frost Advisory for parts of the D.C. region.
It’s going to be a cold night, with temperatures near freezing, and forecasters say those with sensitive plants outdoors should take steps to protect them.
(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) Flooding is not the only imminent threat from today’s wild weather. The saturated ground and gusty winds have brought down several trees and large limbs around Arlington already, causing power outages.
As of 12:30 p.m. more than 2,250 homes and businesses were without power from Virginia Square to Bellevue Forest, with a large chunk of residential North Arlington in between, according to Dominion’s outage map. (The number dipped to 1,925 as of 1:15 p.m.)
Arlington and much of the region is now under a Flood Warning as rain continues to fall.
The warning was issued by the National Weather Service just after 12:30 p.m. Arlington is also under an earlier Coastal Flood Warning for significant tidal flooding along the Potomac.
It’s going to be nasty, rainy Friday.
Arlington will be under both a Flood Watch and a Coastal Flood Warning tomorrow. On top of that, strong winds and the possibility of some severe thunderstorms are in the forecast.
Arlington and much of the D.C. region is under a Wind Advisory from noon until midnight today.
Gusty winds will whip up in the afternoon, becoming progressively stronger later in the day and evening, forecasters say. Gusts of up to 50 mph are expected.
