Three days after the last snowflakes fell on Arlington, significant stretches of walkways around the county remain encased in ice.
Along sidewalks and crosswalks in front of businesses, single-family homes, townhouse developments and at least one county park, ARLnow braved the ice and snow yesterday and today (Thursday) to document numerous failures to comply with the county’s snow removal ordinance.
After a winter break extended by three consecutive snow days, Arlington Public Schools students are going back to class today, albeit on a delay.
APS announced the two-hour delay last night, shortly before Fairfax County Public Schools announced it would stay closed on Thursday. Loudoun County first announced a delay, then shifted to a closure.
Among other nearby school systems, Alexandria and Montgomery County are both on a two-hour delay, while D.C. schools are open on time for the second day in row.
When APS announced it was staying closed on Wednesday, the school system cited “persistent hazardous conditions on side streets, sidewalks and parking lots near our school sites.”
A student-created online petition showed photos of still-snow-covered roads and trails, and cited frigid wind chill temperatures today, in arguing that APS should remain closed Thursday and Friday.
The petition has garnered more than 6,750 online signatures.
“The school has recently announced a delayed start for the day,” an update post on the petition says. “While this is an improvement, we still believe that more can be done to ensure the safety of the APS community. Continue to sign this petition to show that we still don’t feel safe going to school.”
Given the current conditions and the actions of other jurisdictions, do you think APS made the right call today?
Arlington Public Schools students will enjoy their third snow day in a row Wednesday.
APS parents, meanwhile, will have their kids at home for yet another day. They’ve been off since Dec. 20, the last day of classes before winter break.
Arlington residents spent Monday shoveling sidewalks, clearing cars and cautiously navigating icy roads — at well as sledding and having fun — as snow blanketed the county.
People with shovels and a handful of vehicles creeping along snow-dusted roads were among the few signs of life in typically busy areas like Rosslyn and Crystal City. A few commuters could also be spotted bundled up against the cold, waiting for buses and trains to carry them through icy conditions.
Arlington’s snow removal ordinance is in effect after yesterday’s storm.
According to the National Weather Service, 7.2 inches of snow fell at Reagan National Airport (totals of up to 9.3 inches were reported elsewhere in Arlington and Falls Church).
Bad news if you receive Arlington County’s trash collection service on Mondays: you’re going to have to wait another week.
With snow expected to continue accumulating Monday night, the Dept. of Environmental Services announced this evening that trash collection for Tuesday through Friday customers will be pushed back a day, starting Wednesday. Monday customers, meanwhile, will have to keep piling up their trash bags for another week.
Tomorrow will be another snow day for Arlington Public Schools.
The school system announced this afternoon (Monday) that all APS schools and offices will continue to be closed due to winter weather.
In a winter wonderland today (Monday), several families were spotted indulging in some snow day fun on a hill near the Rosslyn area’s Netherlands Carillon.
Fort Myer resident Ben Wolfert brought his two sons, Nate and Josh, for an afternoon outing on the slope across from the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, ranked one of the best sledding destinations in Arlington by ARLnow readers.
Snow is continuing to heap up in Arlington, bringing a flurry of closures and changes — as well as dangers for anyone caught out in the storm.
The county has activated its fleet of fancifully named snowplows, with a total of 70 currently available, county spokesperson Katie O’Brien told ARLnow. They cleared about 30% of residential streets on their first pass this morning, and the county expects to continue operations throughout the day and into tomorrow.
It’s a snow day for dozens of local businesses and services around Arlington and Falls Church.
Some grocers, department stores and shopping centers remain open for urgent purchases, in addition to a handful of local restaurants, which have advertised some snowed-in specials and entertainment. These include:
You’re waking up to a snowglobe world of plows and closed offices.
Some 4-5 inches of snow have fallen so far, as of 8:30 a.m., with more expected for the next couple hours and then later today.
Expect 8-12 inches of snow between Sunday night and early Tuesday morning in Arlington and the immediate D.C. area.
That’s according to the latest snowfall forecast from the National Weather Service. There’s also a 10% chance of 15-16 inches of accumulation.
