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.
County officials were there to listen. And thanks to the myriad of concerns expressed by residents, there was plenty of listening to do.
At an informal public forum on Arlington’s proposed snow removal ordinance, a group of about 30 residents took turns dissecting every possible facet of the two-page statute.
The Hagerstown incident caused a “public outcry” that forced the city to ease up on enforcement, the Associated Press reported at the time. A photo of the elderly couple in Frederick, which ran in a local newspaper, is a classic study in bad PR.
Arlington is now considering a snow removal ordinance similar to the statutes in place in Hagerstown and Frederick. The proposed ordinance has garnered headlines like “Arlington Proposes Criminal Charges for Unneighborly Snow Shovelers” and “Arlington Says Clear Your Sidewalks or Pay Up.” Clearly, history risks repeating itself.
Nearly two months later, and there’s at least one last remnant of Snowmageddon left in Arlington (which should make the county board feel better about passing that temporary snow removal ordinance three weeks ago).
Flickr pooler Expresso2222 snapped this photo yesterday next to the Ballston Common Mall Parking lot.
Succumbing to 60 degree temperatures, melting snow piles are revealing their secrets, giving way to dirt and some interesting debris.
In the parking lot of the defunct Crystal City Motel, what was once a mountain of snow that almost reached the building’s second floor is rapidly becoming a wide expanse of wet filth.
At Virginia Highlands Park in Pentagon City on Sunday, the county’s snow melter sat idle as 60 degree weather ate away at the monstrous piles of dirty snow surrounding the parking lot.
Soccer, football, tennis and basketball were all being played, with most of the participants emboldened enough by the mild temperatures to ditch their jackets and track pants for shorts and t-shirts.
The snow we were expecting, for once, did not materialize. Instead, it looks like we’ll have 40-50 mile per hour wind gusts later today.
County road crews, who were prepared to temporarily halt pothole repairs to focus on clearing snow, can now continue patching Arlington’s pockmarked streets.
Arlington County has issued an alert regarding the potential for significant snowfall on Thursday.
National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for our area, beginning late Wednesday night through Thursday night. There is potential for 5 or more inches of snow.
To help speed up the work already being done by mother nature, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority says it will be plowing the remaining snow from the W&OD trail this week. People Powered Arlington has more details.
On a related note, snow and downed tree branches are apparently still a major problem on Theodore Roosevelt Island’s trails. Check out the photos on We Love DC.
Update on 2/18 – Several public works crews were out on Military Road today. A police officer was posted at Military Road and 26th Road this afternoon to help Taylor Elementary students cross the street.
Huge boulders of ice, snow and road filth cover the sidewalks along Military Road in the Donaldson Run section of Arlington, near Taylor Elementary School, forcing pedestrians to walk dangerously close to fast-moving traffic on the busy commuter route.
Arlington students are set to return to school this morning after enjoying a snowy, week-long reprieve from classes.
Arlington Public Schools are opening on a two-hour delay today due to continued concerns about road and sidewalk conditions. Over the weekend, the county urged property owners to clear sidewalks so students could safely walk to and from school.
Arlington’s snow removal crews are heading back into the neighborhoods to finish what they started (and what they did not start) on Monday. From the county’s web site:
Arlington’s snow crews worked overnight following yesterday’s blizzard conditions to clear primary and secondary roadways. Today, trucks are beginning to move into neighborhood streets. The snow operations team will work to prioritize streets that were not plowed or treated following the February 5th storm, but please note crews must pass through and clear some previously plowed streets in order to reach these unplowed streets.
