The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Arlington and much of the D.C. area through 8:00 a.m. Thursday.
Forecasters say freezing drizzle and fog may make for a slippery morning commute.
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(Updated at 6:05 p.m.) Crews will be out pre-treating major and secondary roads tonight and early tomorrow morning in advance of another winter weather system threatening the area.
Arlington snow crews are already treating primary and secondary roads with brine, according to Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Jessica Baxter, and those efforts will continue tonight. Those efforts will continue throughout the morning if snow begins to fall and accumulate.
The National Weather Service is warning that falling temperatures overnight may cause Monday’s rain to freeze and become Tuesday morning’s ice.
The refreeze could make the morning commute treacherous. From NWS:
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(Updated at 2:05 p.m.) In 2010, Jay Fisette was the lone County Board member to vote against the county’s snow removal ordinance.
In 2015, he is the lone County Board member with a snowy sidewalk in front of his house.
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(Updated at 4:45 p.m.) The snow has stopped and the sun came out this afternoon, but the bad weather news might not be over yet with below-freezing temperatures expected tonight and tomorrow.
Arlington is continuing its efforts to clear the roads and is on Phase 3 of its snow removal process, clearing residential side streets, county staff said this afternoon.
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The Arlington County government will still open on time. Federal government employees have the option for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework today.
The Arlington County Office of Emergency Management reports that trees and wires came down around the county during the overnight hours. Crews are currently on the scene of a large tree and wires down in the roadway at S. 23rd Street between S. Kent Street and S. Lynn Street. The road will be closed until the obstruction is safely removed. The incident has knocked out power to more than 500 homes, according to Dominion Power.
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Update at 9:30 a.m. — Glebe Road is shut down between Military Road and Chain Bridge Road due to a downed tree.
Update at 9:15 a.m. — The number of Dominion customers without power in Arlington has climbed to nearly 1,700. Meanwhile, Washington Boulevard is closed at Powhatan Street due to a downed tree and live power lines.
The area is under a Winter Storm Warning through 10:00 a.m. Monday as forecasters call for a quarter inch of ice. Via Twitter, readers have reported slick roads, especially on neighborhood streets. A Domino’s delivery driver in south Arlington told ARLnow.com that side streets were “very bad,” and that another driver had been involved in an accident. Bridges were also said to be particularly icy.
VDOT, which is responsible for maintaining highways and certain major roads in Arlington, says Monday’s morning rush hour could be impacted by the slick conditions.
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There have been numerous accidents reported on local roads and highways, including several on the 1700 block of Lee Highway, near the intersection with N. Scott Street. Among those was a serious one-vehicle crash involving a minivan that ran off the road and into a wall along I-66.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 1:00 p.m. In an Arlington Alert, the county asked residents to drive carefully.
Forecasters say the precipitation will begin around 11:00 tonight, starting off as snow and sleet before transitioning to freezing rain overnight. The weather event is expected to end as plain rain around 1:00 p.m. tomorrow. Locally, snow and sleet accumulation could total up to an inch, with up to 1/10 inch of freezing rain, according to the National Weather Service.
Arlington County crews are preparing for the winter weather by pre-treating main roads with salt brine (see photo) to guard against icy conditions. Still, the county is asking residents to avoid unnecessary car trips during the storm.
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Police shut down Quincy Street from Washington Boulevard to Fairfax Drive while conducting their investigation. Although it’s currently unclear if icy roads contributed to the accident, a salt and sand truck was called to the scene due to police reports of ice.
Drivers are reminded to use extra caution because this week’s quick temperature drop has caused ice to form on certain streets that may not traditionally be known for icy conditions.
The website offers one-stop shopping for residents seeking more information on winter weather preparations, winter weather safety tips, road condition and snow plowing updates, and answers to snow removal ordinance questions. The site also links to the county’s snow issue reporting page.
One of the new features introduced with the new portal is a “snow phase system,” which will designate how far along the county is in its snow clearing efforts after a storm. The page will indicate whether the county is in Phase 1, 2, 3, or 4.