On Monday the taste of your tap water may be changing as the Washington Aqueduct conducts its annual “spring cleaning.”
Residents may notice a distinct “chlorine” taste and smell in the water for the next seven weeks. Local water authorities issued the following press release about the change:
First Day of Spring / Tornado Drill — Today’s the first official day of spring, though it’s hard to think of the warm weather the past couple of weeks as “winter.” Along with the start of spring comes the start of the most active time for tornadoes. With that in mind, Virginia is holding a statewide tornado drill at 9:45 this morning.
County Budget Hearing Tonight — Arlington County is hearing a public hearing on its proposed FY 2013 budget tonight. The hearing is being held in the County Board room at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard and is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. A public hearing on the county’s proposed tax rate changes is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. [Arlington County]
One could hardly have asked for a more beautiful start to March.
As the thermometer hit 70 degrees today — the first day of meteorological spring — trees, flowers and other plants were starting to bloom. From Shirlington to Ballston, from Waverly Hills to the Custis Trail, the colors of spring are beginning to emerge.
The sporadic 50 and 60 degree days have some bulbs sprouting early and have even prompted a pollen update today. The Capital Weather Gang reports that January broke our string of three colder than average winters. The average temperature of 40.8 was only 4.8 degrees warmer than the normal of 36, but brought us the 17th warmest January on record since 1871.
So with the early sprouting and continued mild weather, is it OK to start gardening yet? Not so fast. According to Manager Carey Fortnoff at Bill’s True Value Garden Center (4756 Lee Hwy), it all depends on what you’re going to plant. Small ground plants could still die if another cold snap occurs. Frost would harm the roots and kill the entire plant. Fortnoff says it’s best to wait until mid-March when the threat of frost has passed.
As The Weather Channel and anyone with seasonal allergies can tell you, the pollen level in the D.C. area right now is very high.
It’s something of an annual spring rite of passage — tree pollen levels rise as temperatures get warmer, allergy sufferers start suffering, and everything gets covered with a fine, lime green layer of a tree’s reproductive cells.
This site is often a venue for serious debate about (mostly) serious issues. Which is fine — although we wish some folks would play a little nicer in the comments section.
On a day like today, however, with the sun shining, plants in bloom, and people enjoying the nice weather, maybe a less serious question is in order.
(Updated at 2:10 p.m.) Food trucks and carts were out in force around Welburn Square in Ballston today. With temperatures reaching into low 70s, workers flocked to the square for some spring-like outdoor dining.
The proprietors of the BBQ Bandidos truck, who continued serving their signature sandwiches and cemitas through the cold weather months, said business has picked up considerably. Across the street, a long line extended from the bright pink Curbside Cupcake truck.
What cell phones and computers won’t do for you is change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Luckily, fire departments across the country are reminding residents to do just that.
Arlington County recommends that residents test smoke detectors monthly and replace smoke detector batteries at least once a year. Typically, batteries are changed when the clocks change in the spring or the fall. If you didn’t replace your batteries in the fall, you’ll want to do it now.
The minty dessert has gotten a facelift since last year. All McDonald’s shakes now come in a clear McCafe cup with whipped cream and a cherry on top. And rather than a flat lime green color, the shake now appears to be a twisted green and white.
We’ve spotted the Shamrock Shake at McDonald’s restaurants in Crystal City and on Columbia Pike. Let us know in the comments if it’s at the McDonald’s closest to you.
Early Buds — Maybe Punxsutawney Phil was right. The photo above was taken by Flickr pooler Clio1789 near Rosslyn on Friday.
Dr. Dremo’s Site Set for Development — Construction could begin by the end of the year on the hallowed ground that once was home to Dr. Dremo’s and Taco Bell. The site, on the 2000 block of Wilson Boulevard, will house 154 residential units and 30,000 square feet of retail space. Meanwhile, a development on the 1800 block of Wilson Boulevard is still awaiting financing. The project — a 107,000 square foot office building — will eventually displace the Rhodeside Grill and Il Radicchio restaurants. [DC Mud]
Punxsutawney Phil Doesn’t See His Shadow — Does that mean there will be an early spring in our area? Meteorologists, as usual, are skeptical. [Capital Weather Gang]
Falls Church Admits Debt to Arlington — Falls Church admits that it does, in fact, owe Arlington $2.2 million for shared use of the Arlington County jail. The city did not say how much of the debt it actually plans to pay. [Washington Examiner]
