(Updated at 9 a.m.) What was supposed to be snow is actually falling as sleet this morning, but the change in precipitation is not dampening the jubilation of local students, who now have the day off.

Arlington Public Schools announced shortly after 5 a.m. that it’s a snow day, even for remote learning.

“In-person and distance learning are canceled for all students today, Thursday, Feb. 18, due to inclement weather,” the school system said. “APS school buildings and offices will be closed… All in-person learning support programs, athletic activities, team practices, in-person technology support and other activities in schools and on school grounds are canceled.”

Via social media, APS explained that it was following the lead of the federal government, which is also closed today, and taking into account the forecast for more sleet and freezing rain as the day goes on.

We updated our status due to the weather forecast and in reviewing the federal government closure as well as the full closure status of neighboring divisions. With freezing rain and sleet in the forecast, there is increased likelihood for power outages and other disruptions.

— Arlington Public Schools (@APSVirginia) February 18, 2021

According to the officials National Weather Service measurement at Reagan National Airport, 0.3 inches of snow has fallen so far this morning.

Across the county, most main roads are mostly slushy, thanks to the efforts of snow clearing crews. Many side roads have not been treated and are treacherous. Residents are being urged to stay home or exercise extreme caution if driving today.

“Yet, again, Virginia State Police is encouraging folks to hold off on traveling until conditions improve,” state police said last night.

A number of crashes have been reported this morning, including one that closed a portion of Carlin Springs Road at N. Galveston Street after a car reportedly spun off the roadway and crashed, injuring the driver.

Dominion Energy says it is prepared to respond to power outages in Northern Virginia, should freezing rain cause trees and branches to fall and power lines to be knocked out.

Arlington County government facilities, meanwhile, are closed, though the local government is still operating on a virtual basis. Arlington County’s trash and recycling service is not running today, and will instead be delayed a day and will resume Friday, with Thursday’s routes.

Buses, including ART and Metro buses, are operating on modified schedules.

ART will operate *Severe* service on Thursday, February 18 due to predicted inclement weather and unsafe road conditions. Routes 41, 51, 55, 72, 77, and 87 will operate with detours and possible delays. All other ART routes will not operate. https://t.co/NSDhHN3wXY

— ART Alert (@ART_Alert) February 18, 2021

Metrobus Alert Impacting All Routes: On Thurs, 2/18, buses will begin operating on moderate service plan. Buses may detour. Learn more: https://t.co/fcicAFP6Hh

— Metrobus Info (@Metrobusinfo) February 17, 2021

As of 8:25 a.m., sleet was continuing to fall, with some freezing rain mixing in. The frozen precipitation is expected to continue through Friday morning.

820a: sleet and freezing rain mostly falling in immediate area with more snow into Loudoun and Frederick counties. Follow our updates here: https://t.co/wV4igW2WcH pic.twitter.com/a8oexdKbPL

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) February 18, 2021

9a: Sleet increasing in coverage and intensity. Expect deteriorating conditions next couple hours with slick roads and reduced visibility at times. Follow our updates here: https://t.co/wV4igWkx4f pic.twitter.com/InFgSVjgiq

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) February 18, 2021

After Arlington’s biggest snowfall since early 2019, the continued winter weather hasn’t been kind to some Columbia Pike businesses already dealing with a pandemic.

Along the Pike, sidewalks remained covered in snow, slush, and salt — as sleet intermediately fell from the sky earlier this afternoon.

A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until Tuesday morning and a mixture of sleet, freezing rain, and snow is expected to continue throughout the day and into the evening.

Sofonias Gebretsadick, co-owner of Idido’s Coffee near the intersection of Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive, says that the poor weather has impacted his business.

“Sunday… and today, it’s slow,” Gebretsadick tells ARLnow. “When the weather isn’t good, we don’t have much foot traffic.”

This is the coffee shop’s first time experiencing measurable snow. It opened in late February 2019, a week after the last time Arlington had at least two inches of snow.

In general, he says, winter has been his least profitable season, but last year’s warmer winter muted the impact.

Of course this past year, right when the weather turned, the pandemic hit. It was a rough March and April, Gebretsadick says, but summer sales were much better.

This winter, between the cold, continued high number of COVID-19 cases, and now the weather, that hasn’t remained the case, he said.

Down the Pike, Burritos Bros was also seeing a decline in normal business due to the snow and ice.

At about 12:30 p.m., the normal steady stream of lunch customers — which has remained even during the pandemic — were nowhere to be found at the local burrito stand, located in a CVS parking lot.

Co-owner Richard Arnez says that between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. is when they typically get customers. But not today.

“It’s been a lot slower today because of the weather,” he says pointing out the window.

He lives near Annandale and said the commute to Arlington this morning wasn’t bad, as the roads were clear of both snow and traffic.

Arnez, too, says while his business has adjusted, the pandemic has continued to take a bite out of the restaurant’s business. And winter weather is certainly not helping.

Back at Idido’s, a bag of salt sits at the door. Despite being cleared earlier, Gebretsadick said the continued precipitation all day has built up a layer of ice on the sidewalk that’s hard to remove. He put down salt himself and is already onto bag number two from Costco.

Gebretsadick went outside in the snow for a bit yesterday with his kids at his Maryland home. They had fun, he says, while he sipped coffee.

But, then, it was back to work today.

Arlington County is under a Winter Weather Advisory through 9 a.m. Tuesday.

A mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow is expected to fall tonight, with the precipitation likely to start around 6 p.m. Up to two inches of snow may accumulate, though if temperatures stay slightly warmer there may be little to no snow accumulation, forecasters say.

JUST IN: We have slightly increased the amount of snow and sleet we expect in the DC region this evening, the bulk of it falling between about 6 and 11 p.m.
Details: https://t.co/MA1RqxqCUr pic.twitter.com/bhBbX7ECpQ

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) January 25, 2021

Both Arlington County and VDOT crews are pre-treating roads in advance of the winter weather.

“Crews are spot pre-treating areas in higher elevations today,” VDOT said. “About 400 trucks will be staging along roads this afternoon, ready to treat roads as precipitation begins. Tree crews will also be on alert in case of downed branches due to ice.”

With Arlington along the edges of freezing for expected overnight precipitation, crews are pretreating hills and overpasses this afternoon. Continued rains can wash away such solutions ahead of colder temperatures. Use caution if venturing out. #ArlWX https://t.co/JnvPU3tlvu pic.twitter.com/XrM5DDlExW

— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) January 25, 2021

More from the National Weather Service:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM EST TUESDAY…

WHAT… Mixed precipitation. Snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches and ice accumulations around a trace.

WHERE… In Maryland, Prince Georges and Anne Arundel Counties. In District of Columbia… In Virginia, Fairfax County, and Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria.

WHEN… Until 9 AM EST Tuesday.

IMPACTS… Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the evening and morning commute.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… Slow down and use caution while traveling. When venturing outside, watch your first few steps taken on steps, sidewalks, and driveways, which could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.

Monday afternoon update: #Winter Weather headlines have been expanded to include portions of the I-95/US-29 corridor. There is still greater than usual uncertainty due to a layer of temperatures right around freezing; slightly colder = more snow/ice, slightly warmer = much less. pic.twitter.com/f5SeEyZwIt

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) January 25, 2021

File photo

A number of crashes have been reported around Arlington as snow and sleet cause slick conditions on local roads.

Arlington Transit has suspended at least one route, and reported major delays on others, due to the conditions. VDOT, meanwhile, is calling for people to avoid driving until conditions improve.

“VDOT asks that drivers continue to avoid nonessential travel in Northern Virginia during rush hour and overnight, as weather transitions between snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain,” the agency said around 1:30 p.m. “Crews will be working around the clock to plow snow, treat for icy conditions, remove downed trees and monitor for flooding.”

Arlington and VDOT crews are continuing to treat local roads, with county crews primarily using salt and VDOT using plows and salt. The county’s hills have proven particularly problematic, with at least one dangerous stretch — on Carlin Springs Road around Route 50 — partially closed by police, per scanner traffic.

Steady snow started the transition to sleet in Arlington around 1 p.m. The sleet is expected to become rain later today, before perhaps transitioning back to snow. Both a Winter Weather Advisory and a Flood Watch are in effect this evening, with 1-2 inches of rain expected to fall.

The National Weather Service is reporting snow accumulation of 0.5 to 1 inch in Arlington, as of 1:30 p.m., though it may be higher or lower in parts of the county.

More via social media:

County crews continue to use salt along primary routes and trouble spots. Treatment is generally weakened by rain at or near freezing. Exercise extreme caution when attempting to drive during a winter storm. #ArlWX https://t.co/JnvPU3bK6U https://t.co/1YeaJ5VJ9j

— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) December 16, 2020

Very active day today and tonight across our region. Depending on your location, you could see flooding, ice or heavy snow. pic.twitter.com/jLOzZBFpA7

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) December 16, 2020

Measured 1.5 inches on the dot in Arlington before mixing to sleet/ice pellets @capitalweather @ARLnowDOTcom @WTOP pic.twitter.com/hnoQD6gy94

— Xavier (@xavierdomenico) December 16, 2020

Here's the earlier crash on I-395S express lanes before Eads (still blocking left side). That's @ArlingtonVaFD responding across the Potomac River from Southwest after making the round-trip into DC (the only access). @wtop @wtoptraffic @ARLnowDOTcom @VaDOTNOVA #traffic #Arlington pic.twitter.com/b9YBG4A720

— Dave Statter (@STATter911) December 16, 2020

It's a winter wonderland in Arlington!

We're closing at 2 pm today and delaying opening tomorrow until 10 am. If you're out and about, Saints, be safe and enjoy the snowfall ❄️☃️ pic.twitter.com/6V2tGK7Qhk

— Marymount University (@marymountu) December 16, 2020

Update at 10 p.m. — Snow is falling across Arlington. The federal government is opening on a two hour delay, OPM announced. Arlington County government is currently planning to open on time.

Update at 6:50 p.m. — Arlington Public Schools is planning to open on a two hour delay Monday due to “possible icing conditions.”

Update for Mon, Feb. 11:
All APS Schools & Offices Will Open 2 Hours Late
Based on the current weather forecast and possible icing conditions for tomorrow morning, APS will open schools and offices two hours late tomorrow. The Extended Day program will also open two hours late. pic.twitter.com/yaRn1sJ2LN

— Arlington Public Schools (@APSVirginia) February 10, 2019

Earlier: A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect Sunday night and Monday morning, with a combination of snow, sleet and rain expected to fall overnight in Arlington.

The Virginia Dept. of Transportation cautions that Monday morning’s commute may be challenging.

“VDOT asks that drivers be alert to a potential mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain to impact roads,” the agency said Sunday afternoon. “Crews have brined roads which will assist at the onset of the storm, but drivers are asked to prepare now for impacts to the morning rush hour. Crews will stage along roads beginning this afternoon.”

https://twitter.com/VaDOTNOVA/status/1094650671415156736

More on the advisory, from the National Weather Service:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST MONDAY… * WHAT…SNOW, SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO ONE INCH AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH EXPECTED. * WHERE…THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ALONG WITH PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MARYLAND, CENTRAL, NORTHERN AND WESTERN VIRGINIA AND EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA. * WHEN…FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST MONDAY. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS WILL IMPACT THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW, SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. EXPECT SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES, AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. WHEN VENTURING OUTSIDE, WATCH YOUR FIRST FEW STEPS TAKEN ON STEPS, SIDEWALKS, AND DRIVEWAYS, WHICH COULD BE ICY AND SLIPPERY, INCREASING YOUR RISK OF A FALL. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1. &&

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from this evening into Monday morning. Snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected, Accumulations of up to 2 inches of snow, and less than a tenth of an inch of ice is possible. Visit https://t.co/DtvXcTe0Qk for the latest information. pic.twitter.com/G8jjVwa4km

— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) February 10, 2019

File photo

(Updated at 5:40 p.m.) A winter storm with mixed precipitation is turning out to be more snowy than expected inside the Beltway.

Arlington and the rest of metro D.C. has been added to a Winter Weather Advisory that had previously included points north and west of the city.

Around parts of Arlington and Alexandria surveyed by ARLnow.com, even treated roads and sidewalks were slushy as sleet and snow continued to fall in the early evening. A transition to rain is expected before the bulk of the precipitation moves out by midnight.

A number of crashes are being reported throughout the county, many attributed to slippery conditions. In Courthouse, police were considering closing 14th Street N. at N. Uhle Street due to cars “sliding down the hill.” On the northern end of Glebe Road, a crash was reported to be snarling traffic near Chain Bridge.

More from the National Weather Service:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT… * WHAT…WET SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO TWO INCHES ARE EXPECTED. * WHERE…METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON DC. * WHEN…UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. BE PREPARED FOR REDUCED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WET SNOW MEANS PERIODS OF WET SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES, AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1. &&

Winter Weather Advisory expanded across DC metro for 1-2" of snow. pic.twitter.com/muPzMQmALi

— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) February 17, 2018

A mushy, rainy mix. Go slow, as you know. That never hurts. #ArlWX pic.twitter.com/j40ClnLp7z

— Arlington DES (@ArlingtonDES) February 17, 2018

Weather Report, Arlington Virginia 4:45 p.m. Feb. 17, 2018 https://t.co/EB0LSalHqi @capitalweather @ARLnowDOTcom pic.twitter.com/3buNQGvWUw

— Dennis Dimick (@ddimick) February 17, 2018

A mix of sleet, snow and ice is making for slick driving conditions outside and has prompted the closure of Arlington Public Schools and government offices.

Local roads remain partially snow and slush covered, though traffic is very light. ART buses are operating on a “severe” service schedule, while Metrobuses are operating on a “moderate” snow plan. The Metrorail system is open and operating on a Saturday schedule.

APS announced just after 4 a.m. that it would be closed today.

All APS schools and offices will be closed today. Essential personnel should report to work at their scheduled time. All custodians report at 6 a.m. regardless of your regular shift. Extracurricular activities, interscholastic games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

Arlington County announced that it was closed for the day just after 5 a.m.

Arlington County government offices, programs, courts, & facilities are closed today, Tuesday, March 14, 2017. If possible, stay off the roads while snow and ice removal efforts continue throughout the day.

VDOT is asking drivers to stay off the roads if at all possible.

Crews and almost 4,500 pieces of equipment worked through the night and continue to treat roads with salt and sand, and to plow in areas where there is enough accumulation.

Interstates and primary roads have stretches of slush and ice as snow and sleet continue to accumulate between plow passes.

Secondary roads and neighborhood streets remain mostly snow-covered.

HOV restrictions are lifted this morning on I-66, I-395 and the Dulles Toll Road.

Drivers are advised to continue to stay off the roads. If you absolutely must go out this morning, reduce speeds, use extreme caution and be alert to icy and inclement conditions. Road temperatures are expected to remain below freezing all day with potential for continued refreeze.

Virginia State Police say they’re dealing with a number of crashes in Northern Virginia.

Virginia State Police are currently on the scene of 10 traffic crashes throughout Northern Virginia. Only two involve injuries – minor – and the remainder of them involve damage to vehicles. From midnight Tuesday through 7 a.m., Virginia State Police have responded to 15 traffic crashes – all of which involved damage to vehicles only and no injuries.

Motorists are reminded to give extra time for travel, slow their speed for conditions, not to tailgate – to provide additional stopping distance in slick conditions, and to always buckle up.

The federal government, meanwhile, will be opening today on a three-hour delay. From the Office of Personnel Management:

Federal agencies in the Washington, DC area are OPEN under 3 hours DELAYED ARRIVAL and employees have the OPTION FOR UNSCHEDULED LEAVE OR UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK. Employees should plan to arrive for work no more than 3 hours later than they would be expected to arrive.

(Update at 2:15 p.m.) Arlington County is preparing for the possibility of snow, sleet and freezing rain on Saturday, though the exact forecast is still far from certain.

“Crews began pretreating roads yesterday and will continue today to prepare for the expected icy weather conditions on the roadways,” Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Katie O’Brien told ARLnow.com Friday morning.

“Due to the low confidence of this forecast, we are still analyzing the level of response that will be required” on Saturday, O’Brien continued. “A determination of resource levels and time of activation will be made this afternoon.”

VDOT, meanwhile, is encouraging drivers to stay off the roads in Northern Virginia on Saturday.

Virginia Department of Transportation and contract crews are preparing for plummeting temperatures and a gamut of winter weather forecast for northern Virginia this weekend, from early Saturday morning through Sunday morning.

Drivers are asked to monitor weather reports for the latest updates to avoid being on the road during periods of limited visibility or icy conditions. Stay off roads Saturday or delay trips until Sunday if possible, to avoid being caught in deteriorating conditions as weather transitions between snow, sleet and freezing rain through the day.

Crews began pretreating roads yesterday and will be staged roadside in the region by 10 p.m. tonight. Throughout Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington* counties (*Arlington maintains own secondary roads) crews treat about 5,200 lane miles of interstates and other high-volume roads with liquid magnesium chloride or brine when conditions allow for winter weather. Learn more about northern Virginia’s snow preparations.

Why does VDOT ask drivers to stay home?

• Visibility will be limited during periods of snow.
• Freezing rain causes an ice glaze that is difficult to see. Black ice often looks like pavement that is simply wet, making it extremely hazardous for driving or walking.
• Four-wheel drive vehicles cannot stop any better than two-wheel drive vehicles on ice.

It could be deja vu if the weather does trend toward more freezing rain. Icy weather caused a number of crashes and other problems on the roads in Arlington less than a month ago, on Saturday, Dec. 17.

Joining communities to the north and west, Arlington is now under a Winter Weather Advisory tonight (Thursday).

Rain is falling around Arlington as of 4:15 p.m.. Forecasters say sleet, freezing rain and snow are possible as temperatures drop this evening.

Already, Dulles International Airport and other parts of Northern Virginia are reporting sleet and freezing rain — raising the possibility of a messy evening commute.

From the National Weather Service:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING RAIN…SLEET AND SNOW… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE…FREEZING RAIN…SLEET AND SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION LESS THAN ONE HALF INCH. ICE ACCUMULATION AROUND A TRACE.

* TIMING…THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE BEST CHANCE FOR FREEZING RAIN WILL BE BETWEEN 4 PM AND 8 PM THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* TEMPERATURES…IN THE LOWER 30S…ESPECIALLY OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON.

* WINDS…SOUTH 5 TO 10 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 15 MPH.

* IMPACTS…UNTREATED ROADS AND SIDEWALKS MAY BECOME ICY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR HAZARDOUS TRAVEL DURING THE EVENING RUSH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW…SLEET…OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk