Arlington Braces for Late-Season Snowstorm

Published on March 13, 2017


  • Coordinate with neighbors to park on one side of street

  • Don't park 'head in' on cul-de-sacs

  • Clear your sidewalks

  • Stay home if possible

  • Use improved online snow form to report problems


Arlington is bracing for a late-season snowstorm expected to hit the region Monday evening and last through much of Tuesday. Although forecasts are fluctuating, a snow warning is in effect and the County could see four-to-10 inches of snow overnight Monday into Tuesday. If you can avoid driving once the snow starts falling, please do. If you must drive, use caution.

What Arlington is doing to prepare and speed recovery


County crew are pre-treating streets and getting ready to plow. Plowing generally begins when snow is two to four inches deep. When less than two inches falls, roadways and trails are only treated. If more than six inches of snow falls, we will plow some residential areas in phase 3 of our phased snow removal process, at the same time as arterial roadways in phase two. (Learn more about our phases).

Our priority is to keep main arteries passable for emergency vehicles and public transportation — including snow emergency routes; arterial streets; high-volume, multi-use County trails; main bus routes; and roads to hospitals, fire stations, Metrorail stations and police stations.

What you can do to prepare and speed recovery 


[caption id="attachment_9997" align="alignright" width="300"]snowplow Arlington is preparing for a late winter snow[/caption]

Residents, too, play a role in dealing with the fallout of winter weather. The County's Snow Removal Ordinance requires all Arlington property owners to clear snow and ice from public sidewalks adjacent to their property within a certain time frame. Here are some other ways residents can help with snow removal efforts:

  • Coordinate with neighbors to park cars on one side of the street, where feasible, or avoid on-street parking so snowplow operators can efficiently clear more of the streets

  • Don't park "head in" on cul-de-sacs so that plows have more room to maneuver

  • Clear your sidewalks and scoop snow toward your house, not the street, BUT

  • Wait for snow plows to come by before clearing snow from the front of driveways, to minimize the amount pushed back by plows

  • Stay home, telework or use mass transit to reduce the number of potentially stranded vehicles

  • Apply only the recommended amount of chemical de-icers on sidewalks to attain a safe and passable way

  • Stay connected through our Snow and Ice Central webpage and our DES social media platforms for updates on snow phases, transportation, trash and other important notifications. Follow us on Twitter @ArlingtonDES and on Facebook at Arlington County Environmental Services.

  • Report snow-related problems through the "Report a Snow Issue" form found on the Snow and Ice Central webpage.


How to report a snow issue


Residents should report snow-related problems through the "Report a Snow Issue" form found on the Snow and Ice Central webpage. Snow issues can be reported 24 hours after a phase has been completed.

Check out this video to learn more about snow removal phases and how to report a problem.

Media Contact

  • Jessica Baxter
  • Jebaxter@arlingtonva.us
Tagged as:
Back to top