Countywide

As Winter Storm Fern continues, Fairfax County extends closures through Monday

By Angela Woolsey
1/13

With snow and sleet continuing to pile up across Fairfax County, the local government has officially extended all facility closures through tomorrow (Monday).

Affected facilities include parks, recreation and community centers, libraries and courthouses, which have all been shuttered since 8 p.m. yesterday (Saturday) due to Winter Storm Fern.

“Emergency administrative leave is granted for county employees not designated as emergency personnel,” the county said. “Emergency personnel should report as scheduled.”

Fairfax City will also close all municipal buildings and keep CUE bus service suspended through tomorrow, though staff will be available by phone.

Fairfax County Public Schools announced earlier today that there will be no classes or other activities on school grounds tomorrow, and trash collection has been suspended for the day by both the county and the Town of Vienna. The Town of Herndon won’t collect recycling tomorrow or Tuesday (Jan. 27).

Streets across the county appeared mostly free of traffic, suggesting most residents are heeding calls from local and state officials for people to avoid travel unless it’s absolutely necessary.

However, a snow plow truck reportedly overturned on South Van Dorn Street under I-495 in Franconia around 11:05 a.m., according to scanner traffic.

“Speaking to drivers, it’s just really slippery here on South Van Dorn. The truck lost control, slid out, crashed into a pole,” a responder said on the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s scanner at 11:11 a.m. “There does not appear to be any injuries.”

The truck crash broke a power and brought down an electrical line, causing a limited power outage. The wire was removed by 11:30 a.m., allowing lanes to reopen, the Virginia Department of Transportation said.

As of 3 p.m., however, Dominion Energy crews were still working to restore electricity to about 15 customers, estimating that the restoration could take until 5 p.m.

The utility’s outage map also shows about 57 customers near Burke Centre Parkway in Fairfax Station and 79 customers near the St. Bernadette Catholic Church on Old Keene Mill Road in West Springfield without power. The cause of both outages is pending investigation, with restoration expected sometime between 5 and 10 p.m. for the West Springfield incident and 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. for the Fairfax Station one.

The I-95 and I-395 Express Lanes are closing at 7 p.m. through 3 a.m. tomorrow morning so crews can clear snow and ice. For anyone commuting early in the morning, no tolls will be charged on the I-495, 95 and 395 Express Lanes from 3-8 a.m.

Metro will limit rail service tomorrow to a weekend schedule, with operations beginning at 6 a.m. Trains are running normally today, but bus service is currently suspended on all but 14 routes.

“The Bus team will continue to work with our regional partners to evaluate individual bus routes as temperatures drop and snow and ice freeze overnight,” the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said.

For today, Metro Access is still providing trips to those with mobility challenges, but as of 3 p.m. today, services are focused on dropping customers off at their destinations, rather than pick-ups.

“Metro Access customers will be asked to defer non-critical trips on Monday to ensure safety for customers and employees,” WMATA said.

The transit system says another update will be released around 9 p.m., as weather conditions and the forecast evolve.

Winter Storm Fern projected snow accumulation totals, as of 10:41 a.m. on Jan. 25, 2026 (via National Weather Service)

As of 10:41 a.m., the National Weather Service was predicting Winter Storm Fern would bring a total of eight inches of snow in the immediate D.C. area, along with just under a tenth of an inch of ice accumulation.

From the latest Winter Storm Warning, which is set to remain in effect until 4 a.m. tomorrow:

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EST MONDAY…

* WHAT…Heavy mixed precipitation. Additional sleet accumulations up to one to two inches and ice accumulations up to one tenth of an inch.

* WHERE…DC, portions of central, northeast, and northern Maryland, and northern Virginia.

* WHEN…Until 4 AM EST Monday.

* IMPACTS…Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning commute.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Sleet will continue today, possibly becoming moderate to heavy in intensity at times. Some freezing rain may
mix in with the sleet later this afternoon into the early evening. Ice accumulations up to tenth of an inch are possible in a few spots. A prolonged period of wind chills in the single digits and teens continues this evening and lasting through much of the week, with sub-zero wind chills possible at times.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.

Persons should consider delaying all travel. Motorists should use extreme caution if travel is absolutely necessary.

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.