VDOT News - Northern Virginia

Drivers are asked to avoid unnecessary travel during today’s winter storm, to avoid being caught in limited visibility and on slick or snow-covered roads, and to give crews room to work safely. Plan to avoid travel Sunday and Monday.

See the latest Winter Storm Warning from the National Weather Service covering VDOT's Northern Virginia District through midnight Sunday, and continue to monitor for updates. Heavy snow bands and reduced visibility are expected.

Crews are treating and will begin to plow snow as it accumulates on roads in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties (and interstates and primary roads in Arlington) throughout today’s storm.

With more than 3,000 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.

Reminders for Residents Today and Monday:

Stay home and avoid driving throughout the storm. Heavy snow bands will mean reduced visibility and potential for conditions to deteriorate quickly. Should the higher end of forecasts materialize, it will take some time to make a passable lane on all roads.

Park in driveways or a single side of the street to allow a wider path for plows.

View tips on shoveling driveways, as the plows will push some snow back. Take frequent breaks, especially when shoveling heavy, wet snow.

If you absolutely must travel, completely clear your car, reduce speeds significantly and use these winter driving tips. Use extreme caution on areas prone to freezing such as bridges, ramps and overpasses. Be prepared with gas and wiper fluid tanks and an emergency kit.

Monitor road conditions and traffic cameras from home on www.511virginia.org, on the free mobile app, or call 511 in Virginia.

Follow @vadotnova for real-time updates. Learn more about snow removal at virginiadot.org/snow and stats for Northern Virginia.

Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.