Now, instead of a blast of snow on Tuesday, as once predicted, snow lovers are being told to wait until Christmas.
Surely, snow fans must be getting a bit frustrated. If there’s one time of year when it would be nice to have some more white stuff on the ground, it’s the holiday season.
Earlier we reported that North Veitch Street had been shut down near Lee Highway due to slippery conditions on a hill that led to a minor accident.
Now we’re hearing of big problems on at least three other hilly roads.
Enjoy it while it lasts. The snow is expected to end around 7:00 tonight.
Two inches of accumulation is expected.
The ordinance calls for snow and ice to be removed from sidewalks within 24 to 36 hours of precipitation ending.
The chief means for enforcement of the ordinance will, essentially, be neighbors tattling on each other, via a new web-based reporting form.
According to our friends over at the Capital Weather Gang, Thursday could bring an inch or two, while Sunday could bring “a crippling East Coast snowstorm.” The chance of each happening is still well below 50 percent, but it’s never too early to freak out and start coming up with creative names like we did last year, right?
While you’re at it, be sure to check out the county’s recently-updated snow and ice web portal.
Temperatures have been hovering around freezing, raising the possibility that roads wet from yesterday’s rains could freeze. Last night VDOT began treating bridges, ramps and other freeze-prone stretches of road with salt, as a precaution.
So far, however, it would seem that ice is not a factor in the morning commute. No significant accidents have been reported as of 7:30 this morning and there are currently no major delays on local highways.
According to scanner traffic, the ramp from westbound Route 50 to westbound Washington Boulevard has been shut down by police due to high water. Likewise, police are checking out a call for high water in the area of North Glebe Road and Chesterbrook Road.
Heavy rain invariably tends to cause problems with traffic lights in the county.
So far, so good, at least for Arlington. There are no reports of significant damage or widespread power outages in the county as a result of this morning’s nasty weather.
As of 7:20 a.m., Dominion is reporting 115 customers without power in Arlington.
This morning’s heavy rain and high winds have prompted the National Weather Service to issue a number of alerts and advisories for Arlington and the surrounding area:
Tornado Watch:
Heavy rain is expected tomorrow night, and already the National Weather Service is warning of possible flooding.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN AREAS FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
A 54 mile per hour wind gust was recorded at Reagan National Airport during the storm, which covered area roadways with wet leaves and, in some cases, trees and utility lines. As of 3:10 a.m., 2,400 Dominion customers were without power in Arlington.
The most significant damage was reported in Arlington’s Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood, near Virginia Hospital Center. Downed trees and utility lines blocked numerous side streets, which were darkened by the power outage. County tree crews were out in the neighborhood with chainsaws and wood chippers at 2:30 this morning.
(Updated at 3:00 p.m.) Driving rain and high winds knocked out power, flooded roads and led to numerous accidents in Arlington this morning.
Parts of Ballston and the area around Lee Highway and North Glebe Road lost power during the storm. A storm-related electrical fire in the parking garage of the National Science Foundation building caused dozens of workers to be evacuated. As of 2:50 p.m., the Arlington Central Library was still without power.
