Snow Guide: Closings, Traffic in Alexandria

4:43 p.m. Wednesday — The winter weather advisory has now expired for the Alexandria area, according to the National Weather Service.

NWS has issued a wind advisory for the area with gusts approaching 50mph until 9 p.m.

— — — —

2:38 p.m. Wednesday — The National Weather Service has canceled the Winter Storm Warning for the Alexandria area and changed it to an advisory that is in effect until 9 p.m.

Del Ray weather guru Russ Adams says 1 or 2 inches of snow remains possible.

— — — —

2 p.m. Wednesday — All Alexandria recreation facilities will close at 6 p.m. Wednesday. All rec facilities are expected to open as regularly scheduled on Thursday.

The city has an updated list of event cancelations and building closures.

— — — —

10:27 a.m. Wednesday — The Wednesday meeting of the Alexandria Transportation Commission has been canceled due to inclement weather.

The meeting will be rescheduled and notification will be published as soon as arrangements are made. 

— — — —

10:10 a.m. Wednesday — The Alexandria area remains under a winter storm warning.

According to the National Weather Service, the daytime high is expected to reach 33 degrees with daytime snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches is possible for Wednesday night.

Dominion Power is reporting 12,586 customers without power in Northern Virginia, including only 21 in Alexandria.

— — — —

6:15 a.m. Wednesday — Federal offices in the Washington, DC area are closed Wednesday due to the inclement weather. Emergency and telework emlpyees must follow their agency's policies.

City of Alexandria government offices and facilities will be open as scheduled, with unscheduled leave permitted for employees.

Many of Alexandria's private schools have announced they are closed Wednesday.

• See: Alexandria Area School Closings and Delays

Day and evening classes and activities at Northern Virginia Community College are canceled Wednesday due to inclement weather. All campuses and administrative offices are closed.

Snow is expected to continue to fall across the area early this morning. The snow will vary between light and moderate intensity. Untreated roads, particularly secondary roads, bridges and overpasses will be slippery.

— — — —

11:50 p.m. Tuesday update — Alexandria City Public Schools and offices are closed Wednesday.

• See: Alexandria Area School Closings and Delays

The federal government’s Office of Personnel Management said it will make an announcement at 4 a.m. Wednesday about any closings or delays.

The National Weather Service updated its estimated snow forecast late Tuesday evening, increasing the estimated total for the Alexandria area to 8 to 10 inches of snow in the next 48 hours.  

— — — —

It looks like Northern Virginia could get its most significant snow storm of the season Tuesday through Wednesday.

The Washington DC metropolitan area is under a winter storm warning from midnight Tuesday night through 3 a.m. Thursday morning.

Predictions Tuesday morning continued to indicate the area would see around 5 inches, if not more.

Alexandria city officials are preparing for a possible Level 2 storm, as defined by the Alexandria Winter Weather Emergency System, according to an email alert sent Tuesday afternoon.

In a Level 2 storm, roads are expected to be snow covered and driving conditions hazardous. City snow removal crews will work first to make snow covered roads passable for emergency and public utility vehicles. Crews will then return to make roads passable for all vehicles. Residents, property owners, and businesses are reminded to clear snow from their sidewalks to help ensure safe mobility across the city. Residents are also asked to help clear snow and ice around storm drains, catch basins and hydrants.

The National Weather Service predicts evening rain will turn into snow sometime Tuesday evening, and continue through Wednesday.

Winds of up to 25 miles per hour, with gusts up to 35 miles per hour, are also expected.

Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, check here for all service and road closures as they happen.

Until the snow begins, here's some information to keep on hand:

Road Conditions, Closings

• Use Patch's commute page for live traffic maps before you leave the office. Snow will mix with rain around 4 p.m., just in time for the afternoon rush.
• The Virginia Department of Transportation keeps a map with all incidents, road work and closures here: 511virginia.org

Emergency Information

• The City of Alexandria issues eNews alerts during snowstorms, and posts closures on its website. You can also "like" AlexandriaVA.gov on Facebook
• Alexandria will maintain its snow emergency hotline (703-746-4488) before, during and after potential snow emergency events.

Power Outages

• To report an outage to Dominion Power, call 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357). To see Dominion's online outage map, click here. 

Other information to keep on hand:

• Alexandria Snow Removal Procedures
• Snow Removal on Sidewalks and Pathways
• Virginia Traffic Information
• Flight Delays and Cancelations at Reagan and Dulles airports