VDOT crew get roads prepped for Jan. 16-17 winter storm

As of Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022: at 11 a.m. VDOT Northern Virginia reports that its crews “are ready for snowfall and wintry precipitation that are forecast to significantly impact the region Sunday and Monday.”

Residents are asked to monitor forecasts, plan ahead to avoid nonessential travel during winter weather, and to be aware of the potential for black ice and nightly refreeze as temperatures remain low.

What’s Happening Now
See the Winter Storm Watch from the National Weather Service from Sunday afternoon through Monday morning. The forecast includes a range of snow and ice accumulations across VDOT’s Northern Virginia District, as well as wind gusts as high as 45 mph and below freezing temperatures. Please continue to monitor forecasts closely because they can improve or worsen quickly.

Northern Virginia District crews began pretreating interstates, primaries, and high-volume secondary roads, along with bridges, ramps and overpasses with brine Friday and will finish today, Saturday.

Plan your trips now to avoid all nonessential travel on Sunday into Monday, especially during the height of the storm, to avoid deteriorating conditions and to allow crews room to work.

With more than 3,800 pieces of equipment to be deployed in the Northern Virginia District, crews will work around the clock on state-maintained roads, focusing on clearing roads that carry the most traffic first. These include interstates, primary roads, and routes connecting public safety and emergency services. Crews can then focus on neighborhoods and lower-volume roads.

Reminders for Residents and Drivers:

With forecasted winter storms coinciding with the return of students to college campuses around the Commonwealth this weekend, VDOT is reminding students and their families to plan move-in travel around winter weather this weekend.

Wind gusts will possibly bring down trees, branches, and power lines. Tree removal crews will be deployed to remove trees from the roadway.

To report downed trees or other debris in the road, residents can contact the Customer Service Center at 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) or my.vdot.virginia.gov.

Monitor road conditions on http://www.511virginia.org or the free mobile app, or call 511 from any phone in Virginia.

Follow @vadotnova and @NWS_BaltWash for real-time updates!

Learn more about snow removal by visiting virginiadot.org/snow and viewing Northern Virginia District’s fact sheet..

For updates and resources, visit
virginiadot.org/novaemergency and virginiadot.org/snow

Report road hazards at 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623) or my.vdot.virginia.gov

Check conditions before you travel at 511virginia.gov

VDOT’s Northern Virginia District includes Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties.
*Arlington maintains its own secondary roads.
Virginia Department of Transportation | 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030