Update at 5:45 p.m. — After a period of heavy snow, the transition to sleet and freezing rain is underway, potentially making travel even more hazardous.
There have been several reports of crashes around Arlington, including a crash that felled a county light pole and closed southbound George Mason Drive near S. Frederick Street. There are also reports of disabled vehicles partially blocking traffic, including a Mercedes reportedly stuck on Route 50 at Fillmore Street.
As locals eat their lunch, all eyes are on the skies. Snow — likely heavy snow — is about to start falling in Arlington.
County and state crews say they’re ready to tackle what’s expected to be a messy mix of precipitation throughout the day: snow to start, freezing rain as the sun sets, and then plain rain as temperatures warm after nightfall, before perhaps a brief changeover back to soggy snow in the early morning hours.
Arlington — and much of the D.C. region — is now officially under a Winter Storm Watch.
The watch was issued just before 3 p.m. Forecasters are calling for up to 5 inches of accumulating snow, but 1-3 inches is most likely, according to the National Weather Service.
A snow removal truck on Washington Blvd in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
If you didn’t already know, the brine lines on the roadways have told you by now: Arlington will likely see snow this weekend.
Update at 12:45 p.m. — Roughly half or more of Arlington’s neighborhood streets have been cleared, according to the county’s snow removal map. ART bus routes are returning to normal service levels.
From Arlington Transit: "Due to improving road conditions, all ART routes will operate normal weekday service this afternoon and evening."
Your kids and your trash will be staying at home until next week.
Arlington Public Schools just announced that it will be closed for the fifth school day in a row, in anticipation of 2-4 inches of snow overnight. Students have not been in class since before the winter break.
More snow is on the way.
The National Weather Service just issued a Winter Weather Advisory, saying 2-4 inches of accumulation is likely between Thursday night and Friday morning.
For the third day in a row, Arlington Public Schools students — and those that follow APS closures, like local preschools — will get another snow day.
The school system announced the closure shortly after 5 p.m., with the possibility of freezing rain in the forecast and with many neighborhood streets still covered in snow and ice.
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.”
