VDOT News - Northern Virginia

FAIRFAX - VDOT crews are ready for snow forecasted across northern Virginia from late Thursday evening through Friday morning. Additional concerns for this snowstorm are temperatures that are consistently below freezing, as well as predicted wind gusts.

Please continue to monitor forecasts closely for updates. 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 Weather Advisory from the National Weather Service, with a range of snow accumulations forecast across VDOT's Northern Virginia District from late Thursday evening through Friday morning. Please monitor forecasts closely for updates.

• The height of the storm will be overnight when most drivers are off the roads, the snowfall rates for this snowstorm may be 1 inch per hour, causing greatly-reduced visibility. Please plan to stay off the roads during this time if you can.

• With dry conditions, Northern Virginia District crews began pretreating interstates, primaries, and high-volume secondary roads, along with bridges, ramps and overpasses with brine Wednesday night and will finish Thursday afternoon. Many roads already have considerable residual salt on them from the snowstorm earlier this week.

• Brine is 77% water and 23% salt. It is sprayed on the road and when it evaporates, it leaves white lines of salt residue, or brine lines as they are commonly referred to. Brine works to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement in the first hour or so of a snowstorm.

• With more than 2,600 pieces of equipment, 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. Residents can monitor the progress of plows at www.vdotplows.org.

• In areas that are expected to receive higher accumulations of snow, park in driveways or on a single side of the street to allow a wider path for plows.

Reminders for Residents and Drivers:

• Monitor the forecast closely and prepare to stay off roads when snowfall begins, to avoid deteriorating conditions and to allow crews room to work. Plan to avoid nonessential travel overnight Thursday and Friday.

• In areas that are expected to receive higher accumulations of snow, park in driveways or on a single side of the street to allow a wider path for plows.

• If you must drive, ensure headlights are on, drive for the conditions, and be familiar with these winter driving tips.

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

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

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

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