A winter storm that could potentially hit the D.C. area tomorrow morning (Friday) has convinced Fairfax County Public Schools to give students a late start to the day.
All schools and central offices will open two hours late compared to their regularly scheduled start times tomorrow, FCPS announced, adding that a full closure is still possible depending on the actual weather conditions in the morning.
Ice-skating season at Tysons’ Capital One Center begins today (Thursday).
Skaters can take to a new, 9,000-square-foot ice skating rink at the development starting at noon, Capital One Center announced.
This winter is expected to be a little warmer than usual in Northern Virginia. But when inclement weather does hit, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will have thousands of trucks — with access to 120,000 tons of salt, 250,000 gallons of brine, and 25,000 tons of sand — ready to go.
During VDOT’s annual winter weather briefing for local government officials and the media on Nov. 17, staffers with the transportation agency and the National Weather Service (NWS) explained how they’re preparing — and what Northern Virginia residents can expect to see on the roads — over the coming months.
Though fall leaves are still clinging to many trees, wintry events have already started to take over the calendar in Fairfax County.
In addition to Tysons Corner Center’s previously reported holiday lineup, the coming weeks will bring the return of ice skating to Reston Town Center, an expanded McLean Winterfest Parade, multiple Santa photo opportunities and other festive attractions for both Christmas devotees and agnostics.
With Halloween in the rearview mirror, Tysons Corner Center is racing right into the winter holiday shopping season, announcing a number of upcoming retail openings and festive events.
New retail
Based on initial measurements, yesterday’s snowstorm didn’t quite measure up to the one that passed through in January, but combined, they’ve given the D.C. region its snowiest winter of the 2020s.
In Fairfax County, snowfall amounts ranged from 5.2 inches in the Town of Herndon, as of 7 a.m., to 8.5 inches spotted in Hybla Valley at 2:30 a.m., according to preliminary estimates reported by the National Weather Service at 10:28 a.m. today (Wednesday).
The mere sprinkling of snow that visited Fairfax County on Saturday (Feb. 8) might’ve been a prelude to a legitimate storm expected tomorrow (Tuesday).
Anticipating potential “heavy snow,” the National Weather Service has upgraded a watch issued yesterday to a Winter Storm Warning for the D.C. region that’s currently set to be in place from 1 p.m. tomorrow until 7 a.m. Wednesday morning (Feb. 12).
Fairfax County Public Schools will clear school grounds early tonight (Wednesday) and start classes late tomorrow (Thursday) in anticipation of some wintry weather.
FCPS announced that all activities on school grounds, including sports practices and extracurricular activities, must wrap up by 9 p.m. In addition, schools will start on a two-hour delay tomorrow with a mix of snow and sleet expected to freeze overnight.
Reston Town Center will embrace the season this weekend with a new wintry event.
“Ice-travaganza” will bring ice sculptures with live carving demonstrations, free hot chocolate, a live DJ, an ice skating performance and other winter-themed activities to the town center’s Mercury Fountain plaza and pavilion at 11900 Market Street on Saturday, Jan. 25.
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.
