Update at 2:15 p.m. — “Please plan to leave work early today,” VDOT’s Northern Virginia office said via Twitter this afternoon.
Folks— we need to get safety-stern with you now. Pls plan to leave work early today. This storm will definitely impact rush hour. Don’t assume a smaller accumulation won’t cause problems. Our plows need room to roll to be able to properly clear roads. pic.twitter.com/wZasjfu5sm
Three days out from one of the D.C. region’s biggest snowstorms in years, Arlington officials say they’ve managed to clear most streets and county-controlled sidewalks — but the frigid temperatures of the last few nights have led to some trouble spots.
Since this weekend’s big storm, county workers have been able to clear the vast majority of highly trafficked roads, and many neighborhood streets as well. But Katie O’Brien, a spokeswoman for the county’s Department of Environmental Services, told ARLnow that snow plows are still on the road today (Wednesday) “to address areas that need additional treatment.”
(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) The snowflakes have finally stopped falling, and now Arlingtonians are starting to dig out from the first big snow storm of the new year.
With county schools and offices all closed (to say nothing of the federal government), traffic is light on area roads and highways. All Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation facilities have also since been closed, and all programs cancelled.
Update at 10:25 p.m. — Arlington County government will be closed Monday. As a result, there will be no curbside trash pickup Monday; service will resume when the county government reopens. Arlington snow crews are also reverting back to “Phase 2” of the county’s snow plan, meaning plows will stop treating neighborhood streets and will resume treating primary and secondary arterial streets only.
Arlington County government offices, courts, & facilities are closed tomorrow Monday, 01-14-2019. If possible, stay off the roads while snow removal efforts continue throughout the day. pic.twitter.com/gf3lrIabKr
Update at 3:30 p.m. — All Arlington Public Schools will be closed Monday, the school system just announced.
APS Alert: All APS schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 14. Essential personnel should report to work at their scheduled time. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs on school grounds are canceled.
Few crashes or major problems have been reported on Arlington roads so far today (Saturday), but this weekend’s snowstorm is only getting started.
Many streets around the county are becoming increasingly snow-covered, though traffic is light and many seem to be heeding advice to stay at home rather than go out.
Arlington County will be under a Flood Watch and nearby bodies of water under a Gale Warning starting Thursday evening.
Heavy rain is expected to fall between Thursday night and Friday afternoon, while strong, gusty winds may fell trees and pose a danger to boaters Thursday night into Friday morning.
The Arlington County Fire Department is urging residents to “turn around, don’t drown” when encountering a flooded roadway.
A Flood Warning is in effect for Arlington County until 1:30 a.m. as rain continues to fall. More from the National Weather Service:
A Flood Watch will be in effect starting at 6 p.m. tonight as Arlington and the D.C. area is in for a heavy dose of rain through Saturday evening.
The National Weather Service says 1-2 inches of rain is likely, raising the possibility of flooding along creeks, streams and in urban areas.
Arlington and surrounding areas will be under a Wind Advisory for much of Wednesday.
Gusty winds could result in downed tree limbs and power outages, forecasters say.
The National Weather Service is warning of the potential for icy roads Saturday morning.
Rain falling on sub-freezing pavement — the raindrops are expected to start falling around 8-9 a.m. — may turn to ice and make driving hazardous.
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