Countywide

Freeze Warning and elevated fire threat issued for Fairfax County

By Angela Woolsey
A dusting of ice on a shrub with berries (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

After a warmer-than-usual start to spring, the D.C. region is expected to be hit overnight with a throwback blast of winter.

The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for much of the area, including Fairfax County, starting at midnight and continuing until 9 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).

Temperatures could dip as low as 30 degrees, presenting a threat to outdoor plants and plumbing infrastructure, according to the agency.

“Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” the NWS said, advising residents to take precautions now to “protect tender plants from the cold.”

At the same time, windy yet dry weather has created an elevated danger of fire throughout the region, a threat that’s predicted to persist through early next week, the NWS said this morning (Tuesday).

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department shared fire safety tips, including proper disposal of cigarettes, keeping vehicles off dry grass and avoiding outdoor burning.

Northern Virginia is also still under a drought warning advisory that was issued in January and remains in place, as of the end of March, despite some significant winter weather and recent rain. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Drought Monitoring Task Force is next scheduled to meet to discuss potential condition changes on April 14.

The NWS’ full Freeze Warning, updated most recently at 10:14 a.m., is below.

…FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM EDT WEDNESDAY…

* WHAT…Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 expected.

* WHERE…In DC, District of Columbia. In Maryland, Anne Arundel, Central and Southeast Howard, Central and Southeast Montgomery,
Prince Georges, Southern Baltimore, and Charles Counties. In Virginia, King George and Fairfax Counties, and Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria.

* WHEN…From midnight tonight to 9 AM EDT Wednesday.

* IMPACTS…Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.

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.