For the third day in a row, Arlington Public Schools students — and those that follow APS closures, like local preschools — will get another snow day.
The school system announced the closure shortly after 5 p.m., with the possibility of freezing rain in the forecast and with many neighborhood streets still covered in snow and ice.
If you have a sidewalk on your property, you now have less than 12 hours to clear away the snow and ice from it.
Arlington’s snow removal ordinance, approved in 2010, gives owners 36 hours to shovel public sidewalks adjacent to their property after a storm with more than six inches of snow accumulation.
(Updated at 10 a.m.) A frigid night is on tap and the refreezing of melting snow could make roads and sidewalks extra slippery.
The National Weather Service on Monday issued a Special Weather Statement about the ice concerns overnight:
Snow Removal Ordinance in Effect — “A recent weather event has concluded and deposited snow/ice accumulations of less than 6 inches. Arlington’s sidewalk snow removal ordinance requires residents and businesses to clear adjacent public sidewalks of snow and ice by 1:00 PM on Wednesday, February 3.” [Arlington County]
More Back-to-School Dates Expected Soon — “We look forward to welcoming Level 2 Career & Technical Education students to the Arlington Career Center for hybrid/in-person instruction starting [today]. We continue to assess additional student return dates… The next group to return will be Level 2, PreK through second grade and countywide elementary special education students. Return dates for this group will be communicated at the Feb. 18 School Board meeting.” [Arlington Public Schools]
(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) Freezing temperatures and frozen precipitation overnight has made for slippery conditions around Arlington Monday morning.
With many locals working from home already, traffic around Arlington is light. Thanks to the efforts of snow crews, main roads are mostly wet and side streets have been treated. Few crashes have been reported since sunrise, but that might also be attributable to people staying at home.
Arlington’s biggest snowfall in two years is well underway.
As of 2 p.m., the National Weather Service reported an average of around 2 inches of snow in parts of Arlington. National Airport’s official measurement was 1.4 inches, while 2.4 inches was reported near Falls Church.
Arlington, D.C. and much of the region is now under a Winter Storm Warning.
The county is expected to receive 4-8 inches of snow accumulation from the incoming winter storm, likely the biggest in two years. The flakes are expected to start falling Sunday morning before the nor’easter finally pulls out Monday night, as it makes its way up the East Coast.
(Updated at 6:40 p.m.) Arlington will be under a Winter Weather Advisory on Wednesday as a storm system brings periods of rain, snow and possibly ice to the immediate D.C. area.
The advisory was Tuesday afternoon and includes Arlington, Alexandria and D.C., where 1-2 inches of snow is expected to fall amid the mix of precipitation.
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools will open two hours late tomorrow, as today’s snow gives way to a wintry mix.
Update for Thu, Feb. 21, 2019: All APS Schools & Offices Will Open 2 Hours Late: All APS schools and offices will open two hours late today. The Extended Day program will also open two hours late and morning field trips are canceled.
Roads ‘Looking Good’ After Light Snow — Per Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services: snow removal crews are “reviewing school routes, especially bridges and County sidewalks, with @APSVirginia on a 2-hour delayed opening. Roadways looking good, treated as needed, but go slow and remove snow from vehicles before pulling out.” [Twitter]
Gov’t Closures Today and Monday — “Arlington County Government offices, courts, libraries & facilities will be closed on Jan. 21, 2019 for Martin Luther King, Jr.,’s birthday. NOTE: Commonwealth of Virginia offices (including Courts & DMVs) will be closed Friday Jan. 18, 2019 for Lee-Jackson Day.” [Arlington County]
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.”
