A Fairfax County Public School bus in snow (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Fairfax County Public Schools has called off classes for tomorrow (Monday), giving students an extra day of winter break as the D.C. region braces for what could be its biggest snowstorm in years.
Joining Arlington and other local school districts, FCPS will close its school buildings and offices tomorrow. All activities on school grounds have been canceled, including extracurricular activities, athletic practices and adult education classes, and School Age Child Care centers will also be closed.
Oakton's Brooke Chang, right, is guarded by Lake Braddock players (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)
If an undefeated record over the course of a dozen games qualifies as a strong start — and it does — the Oakton Cougars are off and running in the girls high-school basketball season.
Two lopsided victories in recent days and a 3-0 mark in its own holiday tournament give the Cougars a 12-0 record, the team’s best start since beginning 13-0 in the 2021-22 campaign.
Local youth soccer players Y-Lan Nguyen from Fairfax and Otu Bisong of Herndon recently were named National Youth Girls and Youth Boys Players of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches.
The players earned the honors as a result of their strong play and production in youth soccer with their Virginia Development Academy (VDA) club teams. Bisong plays for a Herndon team and Nguyen for a squad in Woodbridge.
The National Weather Service has issued at “Snow Squall Warning” for parts of the county after one was spotted at 3:27 p.m. in the Annandale and Lincolnia area, moving east at 45 mph.
The McLean Community Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025 (courtesy MCC)
The McLean Community Center (MCC) is now old enough to qualify for its own “Seniors in Action” program.
The community center will start celebrating 50 years of providing events, cultural enrichment, classes and other services with a special event tomorrow (Saturday) at 7 p.m. in the Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Avenue), kicking off a full year of festivities.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responds to a house fire in the 2900 block of Lawrence Drive in West Falls Church (via FCFRD/Twitter)
A resident was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries from a house fire in the West Falls Church area early this morning (Friday).
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units were dispatched to the 2900 block of Lawrence Drive around 1:42 a.m. Upon arriving at the small, single-family home, firefighters reported that “heavy” fire was visible, and they were told someone was still inside, according to scanner traffic.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity (via Fairfax County)
Fairfax County’s top Republican policymaker is entering the race for lieutenant governor.
Pat Herrity, who has represented the Springfield District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for more than 15 years, formally announced his candidacy for the office this morning (Friday).
An anti-icing truck on Route 123 in Tysons from January 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Though a flurry of flakes rushed through the area in late November, this weekend could bring D.C. area’s first serious snowfall of the season.
The National Weather Service is currently predicting a 70% chance of precipitation today (Friday), with rain likely turning into snow mixed with rain after 3 p.m. Less than half an inch of snow is expected.
Geese on a lake in Fairview Park (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Events to Look Forward to in 2025 — “Northern Virginians have so much to look forward to, from the return of the giant pandas to celebrating 50 years of Kings Dominion to so many new openings. You won’t want to miss any of these 25 events and attractions in 2025.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Legislator to Preview General Assembly Session — State Del. Holly Seibold, “who represents Virginia’s 12th House District, including Vienna, Tysons and some adjacent parts of Fairfax County, will preview the upcoming state legislative session” at Patrick Henry Library in Vienna tomorrow (Saturday) at 12:30 p.m. The county’s General Assembly delegation will also hold a public hearing at 9 a.m. [Fairfax County Public Library]
Bill Would Require Political Ads to Disclose A.I. Use — “Virginia State Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax County, already pre-filed a bill before the General Assembly convenes in January that would require political ads to disclose the use of AI. The content can mislead voters by distorting reality, such as deepfake robocalls generated in New Hampshire that sounded like President Joe Biden.” [WUSA9]
Retiring Rep. Wexton Seeks to Raise Awareness of Disease — “In January, Wexton will retire from the House of Representatives, where she has served since 2019. Yet the manner in which she’s making her exit is atypical. Many diagnosed with PSP retreat from the world … But Wexton has chosen to fight, using her platform to bring attention to the disease and working to pass legislation to fund potential new treatments for it and other brain disorders.” [Washingtonian]
Lottery Ticket Bought in Herndon Among $1M Winners — “Five lottery winners have scored a million-dollar prize in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle, including two in Northern Virginia.” One of the winning raffle tickets was sold by the McNair Farms Sunoco at 13470 Coppermine Road in Herndon. [Patch]
Vegetarian Indian Restaurant Coming to Chantilly — “It looks like a vegetarian restaurant chain is expanding into Northern Virginia. It’s called Saravanaa Bhavan and it specializes in meat-free dishes from southern India … Saravanaa Bhavan has taken a roughly 4,800 s.f. space in the Chantilly Crossing shopping center.” [The Burn]
Volunteers Invited to Help Package Oatmeal — “The Rotary Club of Bailey’s Crossroads, the Arlington Moose Lodge, and the Bailey’s Crossroads Lions Club invite community members to take part in an oatmeal packaging event on Jan. 4. Volunteers will assemble 18,000 servings of fortified oatmeal to help low-income people get through the cold winter months.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Friday — Expect rain and snow showers after 1pm, with mostly cloudy skies, a high near 42, and southwest winds of 5-11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. There’s a 50% chance of precipitation. For Friday night, there’s a 20% chance of snow showers before 10pm, clearing up to mostly clear skies and a low of 25. [NWS]