Arlington County Preps for Winter Storm
Published on January 23, 2026
UPDATE 1: Clearing Snow on Sidewalks Takes Everyone
Major winter weather events often require the help of everyone in the community to get things back to normal and to keep everyone safe. With total snow and sleet accumulations between 7 and 14 inches, along with below-freezing temperatures forecasted for the next week, it is likely the impacts of this weekend's storm will linger -- which is why we need everyone's help.
In Arlington, property owners are responsible for clearing the sidewalk in front of their homes or businesses. The County clears sidewalks around County-owned facilities, such as parks, schools, libraries, community centers, transit stops, and other public buildings, but does not have the resources to maintain the roughly 630+ miles of sidewalks across the County.
You play a critical role in keeping Arlington safe and walkable. By clearing the sidewalk in front of your home or business promptly after a snowfall, you help to:
- Prevent ice from forming and lingering
- Keep routes safe for pedestrians
- Maintain access to bus stops, crosswalks, and community spaces
Neighbors Helping Neighbors: You can volunteer to help! Reach out to your civic association to find out how you can help assist elderly neighbors or neighbors with disabilities, and facilitate winter weather preparedness.
Pro-tip: Shovel early and often to avoid build-up.
Learn more about Clearing Snow on Sidewalks, Trails and Bike Lanes, including answers to some frequently asked questions.
Thank you for your partnership in helping keep Arlington’s sidewalks safe, accessible, and welcoming for everyone.
Arlington County is readying for a winter storm forecasted to impact the region this weekend and going through early next week, with heavy snow mixed with sleet and freezing rain possible. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Arlington from Saturday night through Monday morning, with total snow and sleet accumulations forecasted between 7 and 14 inches. The NWS has also issued a Cold Weather Advisory, with very cold wind chills as low as 9 below expected.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger declared a State of Emergency in advance of the winter weather.
With the storm approaching, Arlington County is deep in its preparations and now is the time for you to make your winter weather preparations as well. Read below to learn more about what the County is doing to prepare and be ready to respond--and how you can ensure you're ready too.
WATCH: Winter Weather Preparation Tips
How Arlington Prepares and Responds
Arlington snow operations have already started, and involve multiple departments as well as external partners, making for a force of several hundred people working in shifts to maintain core services. Before the storm, crews are busy pre-treating streets and trails with brine and salt. Plowing begins when snow becomes 2-4 inches deep, beginning with Primary Routes before tackling Residential Streets. Learn more about the County's Snow Removal Phases and Process.
Snow crews focus on keeping main arteries passable for emergency vehicles and public transportation (red primary routes). This includes snow emergency routes; arterial streets; main bus routes; and roads to hospitals, Fire stations, Metro stations and the Police station.
The goal is always to clear snow from all streets and County trails as soon as possible, but following a severe snowstorm, it may take 36-48 hours after the snow stops falling before County plows can start clearing residential streets or trails. Keep in mind that bare pavement may not be visible, even after the street has been treated or plowed.
The County continues to monitor the weekend forecast for a potentially big winter storm. Your best resource for storm response is here: www.arlingtonva.us/Government/D.... #ArlWX
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— Department of Environmental Services Arlington, Virginia (@arlingtondes.bsky.social) January 22, 2026 at 6:01 AM
Once the plows are active, you can follow along as the County's fleet of plow-salt trucks (45 County-owned, 30 contracted) appear on Arlington’s online Snow Activity Map, which provides updates on the progress of snow plows in almost real-time. View VDOT’s snow map to check the status of VDOT-maintained roadways.
During and after a snow event, the County is responsible for clearing:
- 1,059 miles of roads
- 350 bus shelters and bus stops
- 35 miles of sidewalks in shared public areas
- 21 bridges and overpasses
- 12 miles of trails (Department of Parks and Recreation)
- 10.5 miles of protected bike lanes
Arlington provides year-round multimodal transportation options and treats high-volume trails with the same priority and response time as primary arterial streets. Learn more about the snow removal process for County-maintained sidewalks, trails and bike lanes.
How You Can Prepare and Respond
Major winter weather events often require the help of everyone in the community to get things back to normal and to keep everyone safe.
The most important thing you can do? Stay off the roads. Get where you need to be before the weather gets bad, and once the storm starts, only drive if you absolutely must -- this helps our crews be efficient in plowing operations and minimizes safety risks.
The County’s Snow Removal Ordinance requires all property owners to clear snow and ice from public sidewalks adjacent to their property within 24 hours after the end of the storm for snowfalls of less than 6 inches, or 36 hours for those greater than 6 inches. Arlington County is also reminding commercial property owners that they are expected to comply with the Ordinance, with snow clearing part of basic business operating plans.
Here are other ways to help:
- Move cars from the street prior to a storm, if possible, as plowing around vehicles on narrow roadways is extremely difficult. If you can’t remove vehicles from the street, coordinate with neighbors to park only on one side where feasible.
- Don’t park "head in" on cul-de-sacs, to give plows more room to maneuver. (More tips for those living on narrow roads or on cul-de-sacs.)
- Be Salt Smart. Apply only the recommended minimum of chemical deicers on sidewalks, walkways and driveways. And keep in mind these three easy steps.
- Neighbors Helping Neighbors. You can volunteer to help! Reach out to your civic association to find out how you can help assist elderly neighbors or neighbors with disabilities, and facilitate winter weather preparedness.
- Clear snow from sidewalks, fire hydrants, storm drains and catch basins away from the street. But wait for plows to come before clearing snow from the front of driveways, to minimize the amount pushed back.
Pro-tip: Shovel early and often to avoid build-up. Thank you for your partnership in helping keep Arlington’s sidewalks safe, accessible, and welcoming for everyone.
Stay Informed
Sign up for free alerts about local traffic, hazardous weather, major events, & more at ArlingtonAlert.com.
On social media, you can follow the Department of Environmental Services on Bluesky, X, Facebook, and Instagram for the latest updates on the County’s snow progress.
It’s possible heavy snow or ice may lead to trees and power lines falling. Never touch a downed wire, and know who to call in case that happens. Only call 911 for an emergency.