The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory, saying that snow, sleet, ice and freezing rain are likely to hit Fairfax County and surrounding areas tomorrow.
The advisory is set to go into effect from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 18).
Snow and sleet is expected to total 1 inch, while ice could accumulate up to 1/10 of an inch., NWS says.
More from NWS:
* WHAT…Snow, sleet and freezing rain expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of up to one tenth of an inch.
* WHERE…Portions of central Maryland, northern and northwest Virginia and eastern West Virginia.
* WHEN…From 7 AM to 7 PM EST Saturday. Precipitation will begin as snow before transitioning to sleet and freezing rain. Precipitation will change to rain late in the day.
* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions.
NWS recommends that people stay cautious of ice when walking outside and that drivers slow down.
Yesterday’s afternoon snow has left local roads icy today and no school for Fairfax County public school students.
The arrival of wintry weather in the D.C. area caused a stir on social media about whether or not locals panicked or appropriately prepared for the snow.
PANIC!!! https://t.co/LNlPUmncr8
— Andrew Beaujon (@abeaujon) January 7, 2020
Now that the snow is over and we’re left with slushy streets, how did you react to the first flakes of the new year?
Photo courtesy Carmencita Lilangel Ovando
It’s a snow day for students in Fairfax County Public Schools.
FCPS tweeted this morning that schools will be closed today instead of opening late.
School offices and central offices will be open by 11 a.m., according to the tweet.
Icy roads from yesterday’s snow prompted the closure this morning, FCPS tweeted.
The change in FCPS’ operating status for today is due to the hazardous travel conditions that remain in various parts of the county at this hour, especially on secondary roads.
— Fairfax Schools (@fcpsnews) January 8, 2020
Today’s snow has prompted the cancellation of events around the Tysons area this evening.
In Falls Church and the Town of Vienna, the recreation and parks departments canceled activities after 4 p.m., according to press releases from the city.
The Falls Church City Hall is set to close at 5 p.m., while the community center will close at 10 p.m. and the library will close at 9 p.m. — their regular hours. In Vienna, the community center and town hall are also expected to remain open.
Residents in the Little City can expect their trash, recycling and compost collection to occur on Wednesday.
In Vienna, the Windover Heights Board of Review meeting set for tonight has been canceled.
The public hearing on the newly proposed Capital Improvement Program set for tonight at Jackson Middle School (3020 Gallows Road) has been rescheduled to Monday, Jan. 27, at 5:30 p.m., according to a tweet from Fairfax County Public Schools.
Parks and rec programs and classes beginning at 4 pm or later today have been canceled. Community center and Town Hall will remain open until normal closing times. This evening's Windover Heights Board of Review meeting has been canceled. Info: https://t.co/cNIqI0dObA. pic.twitter.com/YrUyd34BXx
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) January 7, 2020
SNOW UPDATES AT 4:30 PM ON 1/7 :: all previously scheduled Rec & Parks activities after 4PM are cancelled due to weather. City Govt. facilities open tonight with normal hours (@mrsplfc closing at 9PM & Community Center closing at 10PM). pic.twitter.com/2JxhfhTh9A
— City of Falls Church (@FallsChurchGov) January 7, 2020
Traffic is already starting to back up as commuters head home early to avoid slick roads from today’s snow.
Traffic is heavy on the Beltway and along I-66 in the Tysons area as of 3:30 p.m., according to Google Maps. Leesburg Pike (Route 7) west of Tysons and the Dulles Access Road (Route 267) west of I-495 appear less congested.
A Winter Weather Advisory is currently in effect. Forecasters are warning commuters to be aware of slick areas on the roads and to allow extra time getting back in the evening.
On social media, people are sharing photos of the first snow of 2020:
Big flakes in Tysons, VA @TenaciousTopper @capitalweather #snow #tysons Video courtesy of @arjunebug21 pic.twitter.com/d80qJwfHrC
— Alexa Waub (@weatherwaub) January 7, 2020
It’s snowing hard in Vienna, VA. @capitalweather pic.twitter.com/QRDV1TLCAx
— Julieta Valls Noyes (@JVNoyes) January 7, 2020
I just got off the Beltway at Route 7 in the Tysons Corner area where wet snow is coming down at a pretty good clip, but there’s little accumulation. THis is WB Leesburg Pike @WTOP @WTOPtraffic #snowpatrol pic.twitter.com/rHB63MAqHQ
— Michelle Basch (@mbaschWTOP) January 7, 2020
Image via Virginia 511, map via Google Maps
Forecasts say the first snow of 2020 is coming to Tysons today.
If you live or work in Vienna, McLean, Falls Church, Tysons or Merrifield, take pictures of the snow send them to us!
We are seeking photo submissions for future stories and shout outs on our Instagram. (We’ll credit you for the photo.)
Snap a picture and tag or direct message us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or email [email protected].
Schools and federal offices are closing early today ahead of the first snow of 2020.
Fairfax County and surrounding areas are under a Winter Weather Advisory today (Tuesday) for 1-3 inches of snow. The advisory is set to last until 7 p.m.
More from NWS:
* WHEN…From noon to 7 PM EST Tuesday. The heaviest snow is expected between 2 PM and 6 PM.
* IMPACTS…Snow covered and slippery roads are expected. This will impact the evening commute.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Snow rates could exceed one inch per hour with visibility around one-quarter mile at times.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Slow down and use caution while traveling. When venturing outside, watch your first few steps taken on steps, sidewalks, and driveways, which could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.
With snow moving into the area now, here are the amounts you can expect (first image), and the high end amount (second image). Generally expecting 1"-3", with 3"-5" across the higher elevations. High end amounts could add an extra inch or 2 to these totals. pic.twitter.com/YrxWOPNxXA
— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) January 7, 2020
Due to the expected snow, Fairfax County Public Schools will close two hours early today.
Federal offices will have early dismissal today.
For commuters, the Virginia Department of Transportation wants people to monitor weather conditions and beware of slick spots on roads.
“Crews have pre-treated trouble spots in higher elevations,” VDOT said in an email earlier today. “Drivers will begin to see trucks staging throughout the region this morning to prepare to plow and treat roads as needed.”
To accommodate more commuters leaving work early today, Metro tweeted plans to “ramp up service on bus and rail.”
Today's driving homework:
✔️Slow down and be patient
✔️Be on the lookout for school buses earlier than usual
✔️Watch for pedestrians
✔️Slow down and be patient pic.twitter.com/v4qIDfJsoU— Fairfax County Government (@fairfaxcounty) January 7, 2020
We're currently working to ramp up service on bus and rail to support early dismissal of Federal workers throughout the DC area. Some bus routes that only run during rush hour will start early today. Follow @metrobusinfo and @metrorailinfo for additional info. #wmata
— Metro (@wmata) January 7, 2020
Photo by Jessica Fadel on Unsplash
Welcome to the first, revamped Morning Notes of 2020! Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:
Toll Lane Plan Zooming Ahead — “Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Friday afternoon that he and Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) plan to approve the next step of the much-debated proposal to add toll lanes to interstates 270 and 495.” [Bethesda Magazine]
General Assembly Convenes Tomorrow — “Already, Democrats submitted more than 260 bills for consideration in the upcoming session… It’s been 20 years since the Democrats have had this kind of control in Richmond, but more realistically, those with the kind of progressive values of the current majorities have never come close to running the show in Richmond before.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Here’s a “Decade Review Story” for Tysons — “The last decade was a period of rapid transformation in Tysons, with the opening of four new Metro stations, the tallest building in the D.C. region and major mixed-use projects like The Boro.” [Bisnow]
FCPS to Close Early Today — “Light snow is expected between noon to 7 p.m. today (Tuesday) in the area. Fairfax County Public Schools will close two hours early today.” [Reston Now]
Snow will be affecting the area today, and will be heavy for a couple of hours this afternoon. Biggest concerns are the timing and intensity of this burst. Find the most likely start time on the graphic. Full details at https://t.co/ZOlvESgJ2H. pic.twitter.com/ih7HuDpN4T
— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) January 7, 2020
You asked, we have answers: One reader asked what happened to House of Fortune in McLean. The restaurant’s Facebook page said that it closed Nov. 3, 2019. An employee said the restaurant closed after the owner became sick.
Sneak Peek: Looking ahead to stories later this week, Tysons Reporter will spotlight local thrift stores and provide more information about an upcoming “toy library.”
Have a great Tuesday and look out for Morning Notes again on Friday, Jan. 10.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
Working parents, parents with daytime commitments, or just parents who have stuff to DO!
There’s nothing worse than a sick kid and having to negotiate who has a busier day and the stress it can take on people trying to figure out a plan. My husband and I have even traded half days to make things work… but there’s no backup option for a sick kid. However, since we’re headed into winter in Fairfax County it inevitably means snow days, delays and more stress of navigating child care on a whim, I thought it might be useful to have a list of backup child care options on snow days.
Luckily for those of you who need to get the kids into somewhere safe that’ll also keep them happy, there are backup childcare options on the days where schools are closed. When schools are closed, so is SACC (unlike teacher work days where they stay open all day). If you’re looking for a daytime, drop in option for snow day care, consider one of the following options.
Remember you may need to call and/or email for information as this isn’t always listed on their websites.
- STEM Tree Vienna — Science, technology and engineering program
- Lifetime Fitness (Fairfax or Reston) — Call each location for availability
- Fairfax County Snow Day Camp (Oak Marr or Spring Hill) — Only begins on the 2nd day of 2 snow days in a row
- Tiger Den (Vienna or McLean) — Fencing and other activities
- Enshin Karate (Vienna) — More than just Karate, they have laser tag, field trips, games and activities and are open on most snow days
- Mt Kim Martial Arts (McLean and Vienna) — Call for availability
- Bright Horizons Back Up Care at Tysons Corner
- Hunter Mill Country Day School (Oakton) — Also offers space on teacher work days
- One time nanny options — Nanny Poppinz, White House Nannies
I’ve reached out to a few other locations to confirm if they provide options but haven’t heard back in time to add them to this publication. If you run a snow day program, please email me or leave a comment below!
With snow and icy rain last night and this morning, several counties in the D.C. area have closed or delayed start times today (Monday) for their public schools.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) announced shortly before 5 a.m. on Twitter their schools would be open and start on time today. By 9 a.m. more than 4,000 tweets were using #closefcps and the hashtag was trending in the U.S. on Twitter.
As of 9 a.m. today, #closefcps is trending on Twitter with more than 4,000 tweets pic.twitter.com/72ivY045kT
— Catherine D Moran (@c_douglasmoran) December 16, 2019
Tysons Reporter spotted many memes, frustration about FCPS not closing and elation over the hashtag’s popularity among the #closefcps tweets.
Can we get #closefcps to trend again?
— Sid R. (@SidRamOfficial) December 16, 2019
https://twitter.com/SidRamOfficial/status/1206540506983010304?s=20
Let Tysons Reporter know what you think about FCPS staying open today.
Hat tip to Kalina Newman
