Countywide

Another storm may bring flooding, strong winds to Fairfax County tomorrow

By Angela Woolsey
A Fairfax Connector bus travels on Maple Avenue during a rain storm on Jan. 6, 2023 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

In case you didn’t get your fill of rain on Saturday (Jan. 6), another downpour could be in store for Fairfax County this week.

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch and a Wind Advisory for the mid-Atlantic region, including Fairfax County and the rest of northern Virginia, ahead of a storm that’s expected to travel up the East Coast tomorrow (Tuesday).

Issued this morning, the Flood Watch is currently set to take effect at 1 p.m. tomorrow and remain in place until 7 a.m. Wednesday (Jan. 10). The alert warns that flooding caused by “excessive rainfall” of two to three inches is possible.

The forecast indicates that the heaviest period of rain will come in the afternoon and evening.

“Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” the NWS said. “Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Low-water crossings may be flooded.”

The Wind Advisory will be in place from 3 p.m. tomorrow to 1 a.m. Wednesday. Southeast winds may reach 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph, according to the NWS.

“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the alert says.

According to the Capital Weather Gang, the incoming storm will be similar to the one that hit on Saturday, fueled by warm air from the south that will turn most of the precipitation into rain.

Forecasts last week suggested Fairfax County could get up to an inch of snow and sleet accumulation from Saturday’s winter storm. NWS data for the Dulles Airport area indicates that the 0.97 inches of precipitation recorded that day was mostly rain, though there were “trace” amounts of snow.

About the Author

  • Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.