Countywide

Fairfax County suspends bus and trash service, travel discouraged as snow falls

By Angela Woolsey
An emergency vehicle drives in the snow on Burke Lake Road around 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2025 (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The snowstorm that began overnight has effectively shut down Fairfax County.

After closing most local government offices and facilities, the county announced this morning (Monday) that Fairfax Connector has suspended all bus service, as of 7:46 a.m., and no trash and recycling collection services will be provided today.

“Safety is our top priority, and we will reassess service levels later this morning,” the Fairfax County Department of Transportation said, advising Fairfax Connector passengers to check its website, social media channels and BusTracker for updates.

The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) collects trash and recycling for only about 10% of county residents, though a plan to overhaul the system is underway. Vacuum leaf service has also been put on hold for today.

“We will continue to monitor road conditions and will resume operations as soon as conditions allow,” DPWES said. “We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience. The I-66 Transfer Station and the I-95 Landfill Complex disposal centers will be open regular hours.”

According to the county, some private trash haulers have also suspended service for the day.

The Town of Herndon, whose public works crews began plowing roads around 2 a.m., isn’t collecting recycling today, but bins should be carried to the curb for pickup tomorrow (Tuesday).

The Town of Vienna has postponed waste collections scheduled for today until tomorrow, “weather permitting,” according to an alert. The town council meeting scheduled for tonight has been canceled, as have all Vienna Community Center, Bowman House Arts and Crafts Center and Club Phoenix Teen Center classes and programs.

With 4 to 8 inches of snow already reported across the D.C. region, per the Capital Weather Gang, the Virginia Department of Transportation continues to discourage people from traveling so its crews can make roads passable.

“Northern Virginia District Crews are now in push mode across area roads and will be making numerous passes as heavy snow continues,” the department said in an update shortly after 7 a.m. “VDOT Northern Virginia has approximately 3,000 pieces of equipment at our disposal for this storm.”

Between midnight and 4 a.m., the Virginia State Police responded to eight crashes in Northern Virginia, though none had reported injuries and not all crashes were necessarily a result of the weather. Since 4 p.m., state police have responded to 181 crashes, including 20 with reported injuries, statewide.

Metro has restricted bus service to only a select few routes on major roads due to the snow. Rail service started this morning as normal and is continuing to run smoothly, as of 10:24 a.m., but operations could change if more than 8 inches of snow accumulate, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

The National Weather Service has increased its predictions for total snow accumulation in the D.C. area from at least 5 inches to between 6 and 10 inches, with some “isolated spots” potentially getting as many as 12 inches. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for the region until 1 a.m. Tuesday.

The NWS says a lull in the storm could come later this morning to around midday, only for snow to resume this afternoon and evening.

More from VDOT on its snow-clearing efforts:

The overnight snowfall, along with a mix of rain, freezing rain and sleet in some areas, has created hazardous driving conditions across much of the western and northern regions of Virginia. Most of the state-maintained roadways in those regions are in moderate condition, meaning there is snow or ice on major portions of the roadway.

Crews are working around the clock to remove snow and treat state-maintained roads until they are passable. Snow removal operations take time, so travelers should not expect to see bare roads during — and for a period after — the storm. Due to the rate of snowfall, snowplows will have to make multiple passes to remove snow.

VDOT is responsible for the snow removal of nearly 60,000 miles of state-maintained roads. All cities and some towns maintain their roads, and VDOT may support them, if requested. Once priority roads are passable, crews will move to lower-volume secondary roads and neighborhoods as equipment is available.

Snow removal priorities are as follows:

  • The Interstate Highway System and limited-access roadways are VDOT’s first priority.
  • Primary roads (routes numbered 1 to 599) and major secondary roads (routes numbered 600 and up) with vital emergency and public facilities, or those with high-traffic volumes, will be cleared along with interstate and limited-access roadways as resources allow.
  • Low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated after higher-priority routes are completed and additional resources are available.

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.