Reston and the rest of the Washington, DC, region are preparing Tuesday for the biggest snow in nearly three years.
Snow began falling in Reston about 6 a.m., right as scheduled by a Winter Storm Warning issued by the National Weather Service. The NWS says 3 to 6 inches may fall between 6 a.m. and noon.
If predictions are on track, it will be the biggest snow since “Carmaggedon,” the Jan. 26, 2011 afternoon rush hour storm that left many motorists around the region stranded in traffic, says NBC4 Meterologist Tom Keirein.
Here are some things to know today:
Federal Government offices are closed.
Fairfax County Public Schools are closed Tuesday for the second day in a row.
Fairfax County Government offices will be open Tuesday. Employees have been granted unscheduled leave. Emergency service personnel should report as scheduled.
Fairfax County Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court are open on time.
Fairfax Parks, Community and Recreation and Community Centers: If you have questions about Park Authority facilities, contact the site directly, call the Parks inclement weather line at 703-324-8661, TTY 711, or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks. Reston Community Center (both locations) have cancelled programming, but the pool is scheduled to open at 9 a.m.
Fairfax Connector bus service may be affected by the inclement weather. Check the Connector Web page at www.fairfaxconnector.com for the current operating status.
FASTRAN: Call 703-222-9764, press 8; TTY 711, or check online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ncs/fastran.htm for the latest updates about potential service interruptions.
Libraries: Library hours may be affected; call your local branch before visiting. For branch phone numbers, call 703-324-3100 or go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library.
Roads: Residents can see the status of plowing in northern Virginia neighborhoods at www.vdotplows.org. Once it snows more than two inches Fairfax residents can enter their address and a color-coded map shows whether plowing is underway, completed, or not yet started in their neighborhood.
Report road problems to 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623) or [email protected].
Power: Check out Dominion Virginia Power’s outage map. To report an outage, visit Dominion Virginia Power or call 866-DOM-HELP (366-4357)
Somewhere that you have to be? Read these tips from The Weather Channel on driving on ice.
This story will be updated as developments warrant. Have any great weather photos? Tweet us at@RestonNow, post them on our Facebook Page or email to [email protected].
Photo of Dulles Toll Road via WJLA traffic cam.
Fairfax County Schools will be closed Tuesday — the second day in a row — as heavy snow is scheduled to fall in the morning.
School Age Child Care Centers (SACC) will also be closed. Fairfax County government will be open, but employees can take unscheduled leave.
To see other county closings and a list of numbers to call for information, visit Fairfax County’s Emergency Information blog.
All Reston Community Center programs are canceled Tuesday. The pool will open at 9 a.m. For current status, call 703-476-4500.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning through Tuesday afternoon, with snowfall of 3 to 5 inches for the Reston area.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is advising motorists to check road conditions ahead of their commute, and to limit travel or use caution.
More than 1,200 trucks and plows will be out beginning at 4 a.m. Tuesday, VDOT said.
Residents can see the status of plowing in northern Virginia neighborhoods at www.vdotplows.org. Once it snows more than two inches, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William residents can enter their address and a color-coded map shows whether plowing is underway, completed, or not yet started in their neighborhood.
Report road problems to 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623) or [email protected].
Update, Monday, 2:45 p.m. — The National Weather Service has canceled its earlier Winter Storm Watch for Tuesday in Northern Virginia.
The forecast has been downgraded to a Winter Weather Advisory, in which snow — heavy at times — could accumulate from 3 to 5 inches in Reston and nearby areas.
The snow should start Tuesday at dawn and continue through early afternoon. There is the potential for 1 to 2 inches per hour coinciding with morning rush hour, the NWS advisory says.
Update, Monday noon — The icicles from Sunday continued to melt for much of Monday morning, but keep your shovels handy as the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the Reston area for Tuesday.
NWS says the entire Northern Virginia region is under the watch from Monday night into Tuesday afternoon.
Precipitation could start with sleet Monday night — but could result in accumulations of 5 inches or more of snow to fall on Tuesday,
Temperatures Tuesday are expected to be in the upper 20s and lower 30s. Morning snow could fall at rates between 1-2 inches per hour for two to four hours, the NWS says.
Also, Dominion Virginia Power reported that as of mid-day, about 4,000 customers in Reston are without power. The majority of them are in neighborhoods off Lawyers Road.
Original story, Monday 8 a.m. — Reston residents woke up to slick roads and ice-covered trees on Monday as Sunday’s snow, sleet and rain refroze into a crystal mess.
Temperatures should warm up throughout the day. The high is 42, so much of the ice should melt and additional precipitation later be rain, according to The Weather Channel.
However, the forecast calls for two to four inches of snow on Tuesday.
Fairfax County Public Schools are closed on Monday, and the Federal Government is on a two-hour delay. Fairfax County Government is open with unscheduled leave granted to employees. Fairfax County Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court will be closed.
Dominion Virginia Power says more than 46,000 customers are without power, 23,000 of them in Fairfax County. To see more specifics, check out Dominion’s Outage Map. To report an outage call 1-866-DOM-HELP.
A tractor trailer filled with tires overturned early Monday morning on the outer loop of the Beltway near Tysons Corner, causing delays for drivers. Virginia State Police said they could not determine if the accident near Chain Bridge Road was caused by weather-related problems. The incident occurred just before 3 a.m. near Chain Bridge Road. By 7 a.m., two lanes were getting by, but backups are still significant.
Somewhere you have to be? Read these tips from The Weather Channel on driving on ice.
This story will be updated as developments warrant. Have any great weather photos? Tweet us at @RestonNow, post them on our Facebook Page or email to [email protected].
(Photo of ice-covered tree in Reston courtesy of Mary Dominiak via Twitter)
Update, 6 p.m. Sunday: Fairfax County Public Schools have announced all schools will be closed Monday due to the weather conditions.
On Monday, Dec. 9, all Fairfax County public schools will be closed, and administrative offices will open at 12 noon. The following activities in schools and on school grounds are canceled.
Snow and freezing rain that fell all day Sunday have resulted in dangerous road conditions.
When FCPS is closed so are extracurricular activities, interscholastic contests, team practices, field trips, middle school after-school programs, professional learning and training courses, all adult and community education classes, recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS. School Age Child Care (SACC) centers are also closed.
Update, 5:42 p.m. Sunday – Reagan National Airport is at a ground stop as of 5:45 p.m. while ground crews clear freezing rain. All airlines are reporting many cancellations from all three DC-area airports, so call and plan ahead if you have travel plans late Sunday.
As the snow turned into freezing rain Sunday afternoon, Virginia Department of Transportation officials advised citizens to stay off roads.
“We are urging folks to stay off the road today and to delay travel in the morning until conditions improve,” Branco Vlacich, head of maintenance for VDOT in northern Virginia, said in a press release. “While crews are keeping up with the storm for now, we expect conditions to deteriorate as the snow turns into freezing rain.”
More than 2,000 salt trucks and plows are working to keep roads passable in northern Virginia, said VDOT, adding that while roads are passable, ramps, bridges and underpasses are treacherous and are likely to remain so until temperatures rise sometime Monday morning.
Original story: Snow began falling in Reston early Sunday, right on schedule. As of noon, the area has received less than an inch and main roads are generally clear.
However, changing weather this afternoon poses a challenge for residents. Sleet and freezing rain are predicted, the National Weather Service says. Some of the most troublesome issues in the area are expected North and West of D.C.
What you need to know:
The winter storm watch issued by the National Weather Service has been upgraded to a winter storm warning through 10 a.m. Monday.
The NWS predicts “one to three inches of snow and sleet, followed by a quarter inch of ice. Snow and sleet will begin Sunday morning, then will change to freezing rain Sunday afternoon. Freezing rain will continue Sunday night, eventually changing to rain late Monday morning. The greatest accumulation of ice will take place on Sunday night.”
All Fairfax County Public Schools activities scheduled for Sunday have been cancelled.
Reston Community Center Hunters Woods and Lake Anne will both close at 5 p.m. today due to the weather.
Icy power lines can mean power outages. Dominion’s outage map can be found here.
Virginia Department of Transportation has a road conditions website to keep you up to date.
Have any great snow photos? Tweet us at @restonnow or email to [email protected].
This story will be updated as conditions change and any closings are announced.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is encouraging Virginians to prepare for a potentially disruptive early-season winter storm that will affect the Commonwealth this Sunday.
Exact impacts are still somewhat uncertain depending on whether most of the precipitation is rain, snow or freezing rain, the governor said. Virginians should make preparations now for possible power outages, that could be lengthy if large amounts of ice accumulate on power lines and trees, as well as unsafe road conditions, McDonnell said at a Friday storm briefing in Richmond.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Washington area that will run from Sunday morning through Monday morning. The NWS says snow and sleet will change over to freezing rain Sunday afternoon. The freezing rain is expected to last until Sunday night or Monday morning, but will then change to rain
In the Washington area, 1 to 2 inches of snow and sleet may fall, and a quarter-inch or more of ice accumulation is possible, the NWS said.
“It might be warm today, but the weather in the Commonwealth is about to take a major change for the worse,” McDonnell said.
“With this forecast in mind, I ask all Virginians to take the necessary precautions today to ensure they are prepared for any possible losses of power during a cold weather period. Please check your batteries, flashlights, and lanterns. Power your mobile communications devices now and make sure they are fully charged. And, as always, please check on your elderly or house-bound neighbors, family, and friends in particular to ensure they are ready for this storm and any possible inconveniences or interruptions that may result.”
