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?
Welcome to Kami’s Korner where we’ll take a deep dive into Arlington’s condominium market by focusing on what’s coming next. From emerging developments to shifting trends, this space will spotlight the opportunities and insights shaping the future of condo living in Arlington.
To understand where the market is today, let’s look at how the condo market has changed. What began as an affordable housing alternative for first-time homebuyers has become the pinnacle of true luxury urban living typical of a world-class city. Let’s explore the 20-year evolution of new condos in Arlington.
Early 2000s: Affordability Focused. Condominiums in the early 2000s were aimed primarily at first-time homebuyers. Affordability was key and this type of housing in Arlington wasn’t glamorous quite yet. The market was steady and interest rates, at just under 7% in 2001, were deemed attractive. Most buildings had 100- 200 units and the average size for a new condominium in Arlington was 950 sq ft.
Mid-2000s: Market Heats Up. In 2003 the market began to pick up speed, fueled by the abundance of financing and essentially loans that required no documentation or proof of affordability. During this time Ballston saw several apartment to condo conversions. Condo units were generally designed as apartments so unit sizes were smaller among all unit types. Finishes were acceptable but not great. This is when granite countertops became the epitome of quality.
New builds like Liberty Center in Ballston shifted the average size down while finish quality and livability of design improved. It was probably the best building of that generation. Like many others at that time there was a rush to buy and buildings were very successful in pre-sale. (more…)
Sculpture in Courthouse, surrounded by snow and ice (courtesy George Brazier)
White House Slams Arlington — “The Trump administration fired back at local Democratic leadership in a Washington, D.C., suburb, that had called on residents to dial 911 to report sightings of ICE and federal immigration enforcement… “Inciting people to call 911 when they see ICE is reckless and will directly harm public safety,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.” [Fox News]
Temporary Hotel Proposal — “A portion of a 27-story luxury apartment building in Rosslyn, the nearly completed replacement for the RCA building at 1901 N. Moore St., is being pitched as a temporary hotel until leasing occupancy picks up. A proposal to convert 125 units in one of its two towers into a temporary hotel for five years was filed with the Arlington County Zoning Division on Monday.” [WBJ]
Snow Hauling Continues — “Crews hauled more than *5,000* truckloads of snow! , To put that in perspective, the giant snow pile at 14th St N is “only” 230 truck loads, less than 5% of the total snow hauled!” [Arlington County/X]
Rescuers Training at Pond — “Ice rescue training underway. Our Water Rescue Team took advantage of freezing temperatures to practice critical cold-water rescue skills. Special thanks to the Army Navy Country Club for allowing us to train on their pond.” [ACFD/X]
Va. Tax Bills — “Republicans in Richmond have been calling attention to all the bills that Democratic legislators have introduced that would raise taxes — something that would seem to be at odds with an agenda of making things more affordable. It is true that there are about two dozen or more bills that have some sort of tax increase. However, Democrats counter that many of these are so targeted that they don’t really affect the general public.” [Cardinal News, WJLA]
DCA Sexual Assault Case — “A federal jury convicted an Indian national yesterday on charges of abusive sexual contact and assault onboard a flight. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Aug. 29, 2024, during final approach on a flight from Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a passenger awoke to find Varun Arora, 38, sexually groping her.” [USDOJ]
ICE Arrests in D.C. — “ICE arrests in D.C. peaked in late August after President Trump’s federal surge — and while they dropped afterward, the numbers show immigration enforcement stayed persistent.” [Axios]
Dems Appeal Redistricting Ruling — “Lawyers for Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) have filed an emergency motion asking the state Court of Appeals to prevent a judge from blocking the legislature’s redistricting effort, saying a ruling earlier this week against the proposed amendment to the state constitution amounted to unprecedented interference in the democratic process.” [Washington Post]
Snow to Stick Around — “When is this “snowcrete” nonsense going to finally MELT? Wouldn’t surprise us if some of it is still hanging around in MARCH. The prolonged cold has largely prevented the frozen conglomeration that fell on Sunday from melting, and there’s no sign of a meaningful thaw or rainstorm to erode it anytime soon.” [CWG/X]
Midweek Snow Chance — “Computer models still show a weak impulse slipping just to our south Tuesday night into early Wednesday, probably bringing a period of snow. We still think a coating to one inch is most probable but up to a few inches or no snow are alternative possibilities.” [CWG/X]
New Legal Notice — Nail salon seeks ABC permit; objections due within 30 days. [Public Notices]
New Legal Notice — Rescheduled housing voucher plan hearing: Feb 6, 2026, 6–7:30 p.m. [Public Notices]
New Legal Notice — Application for on/off-premises wine and beer license; objections due. [Public Notices]
It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with a high temperature around 31 degrees. The northwest wind will be blowing at a speed of 8 to 14 mph, with gusts reaching up to 23 mph and wind chill values dropping to as low as zero. Monday night, the sky will be partly cloudy, and the temperature will drop to around 18 degrees while the west wind will blow at 5 to 7 mph. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ou get to warm up with fresh-brewed coffee rather than worrying about brewing your own or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington, so you can skip the icy commute and focus on your work.
The Kennedy Center, as seen from Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
President Donald Trump said Sunday he will move to close Washington’s Kennedy Center performing arts venue for two years starting in July for construction.
Trump’s announcement on social media follows a wave of cancellations since Trump ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancellations.
Get ready for a night celebrating every era as The Fearless Eras, DC’s only all-Taylor Swift cover band, takes over The Renegade in Arlington for more than 3 hours of Taylor’s biggest hits and fan-favorite deep cuts.
That is mostly because this shutdown, which started Saturday, does not include the whole of government and may not last long, even as it now drags into the new week.
Expect mostly cloudy conditions with a high of around 19 degrees, while the wind chill may dip as low as -5 degrees due to a north wind blowing at 7 to 10 mph. On Saturday night, there’s a slight chance of snow before 1am and the temperature will drop to around 12 degrees. Wind chills may again hit -5 degrees as the north wind increases to 10-17 mph, with gusts up to 26 mph. Overall, there is a 20% chance of precipitation during the night. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” – Deepak Chopra
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum. 👋
Megan Moos Detweiler organized the "Shovel ICE Out" fundraiser in Fairlington (courtesy of Megan Moos Detweiler)
A Fairlington resident from Minnesota has been providing snow shoveling services in exchange for donations supporting immigrants in the Twin Cities.
Megan Moos Detweiler, a teacher and Fairlington resident who grew up on the East Side of St. Paul, Minn., launched the “Shovel ICE Out” fundraiser to help immigrant families at her alma mater, Mississippi Creative Arts Elementary. Since last weekend’s storm, it has received about 300 donations, including $5,600 through GoFundMe.
Mason Cunningham was chosen as the ODAC Offensive Player of the Year (courtesy of Hampden-Sydney football)
For a season-long performance worthy of comeback-player-of-the-year honors, Arlington’s Mason Cunningham was chosen as the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
The Yorktown High School graduate and senior football standout for the Division III Hampden-Sydney College Tigers received the award, in addition to being chosen first-team all-conference, as a result of impressive statistics in 10 games as a wide receiver.
