It wasn’t Snowmageddon but Alexandria saw its first significant snowfall as the city was blanketed with snow Jan. 6 when the first winter storm of the year dumped 2-10 inches of snow as it moved through the region.
Alexandria schools were closed as the National Weather Service predicted as much as a foot of snow in parts of the state. Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm, which began in the early morning hours Monday and increased in intensity throughout the day.
Snow fell at a rate of 1-3” per hour and continued overnight before tapering off. In Alexandria, Rose Hill saw 9.0” of snow followed by Old Town with 8.0” and St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes blanketed with 7.5”.
In neighboring Arlington, Rosslyn received 7.8” of snow, National Airport reported 6.1”, and East Falls Church 9.3”.
In Fairfax County, Hybla Valley received 9.5” of snow, Newington 10.0”, Lorton 9.5”, Centreville 9.0”, Oakton 8.0” and Huntsman Park 9.3”.
Daily snowfall records were set at both Dulles and BWI airports, with Dulles recording over 5 inches of snow on the ground and BWI seeing more than 6 inches. Previously, the records for a Jan. 6 snowfall were 4.2 inches in 2015 and 3.4 inches in 1989, respectively.
The precipitation didn’t prevent residents from venturing out as some restaurants in Old Town and Carlyle, including Sweet Fire Donna’s and Tequila and Taco, remained open.
Thousands of flights were disrupted Monday as the storm moved across the region. By 5:45 p.m. ET, more than 6,900 U.S. flights were delayed while more than 2,130 were canceled, according to flight tracker FlightAware.
More than 400 flights, or 80 percent of the day’s schedule, were canceled at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, while about a third of the scheduled flights were canceled at both Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
As residents continue to dig out, below freezing temperatures and gusting winds will slow the melting of accumulated snow despite the sunny skies. Temperatures are expected to warm up over the weekend.
The city has cleared snow from 561 lane miles of roadways, 20 miles of publicly owned sidewalks, walkways and pathways, and 44 acres of municipal parking lots and publicly owned squares. Residents are required to clear the areas around their property within 48 hours of the end of a snowstorm.
To check on the status of road clearings, along with other snow emergency information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/snow.
Families play in the snow at the foot of King Street during the Jan. 6 snowstorm.