City manager: Ice storm worst in 30 years, required 20+ passes on major roads
Crews hauled 300 dump truck loads of ice; trash collection canceled through Wednesday
City Manager Jim Parajon told City Council Tuesday night that the winter storm that hit Alexandria over the weekend was the most challenging in three decades, with sleet and ice conditions not seen since the mid-1990s requiring crews to make more than 20 passes on some major roads.
“This was one of the most challenging scenarios for snow and ice operations that one can encounter,” Parajon said during a 40-minute update at the council’s virtual meeting. “We have not seen sleet of this magnitude for over 30 years combined with such a prolonged stretch of below freezing temperatures.”
Parajon said the storm dumped over 7 inches of snow before shifting to hours of freezing rain and sleet that turned the snow into solid ice, limiting the effectiveness of traditional plowing operations.
“The primary challenge was not the snow itself,” Parajon said. “We’ve had larger snow events, and we’ve been able to recover within 48 hours or so.”
In a typical heavy snow event, Duke Street can be cleared in one or two passes. Tarrence Moorer, deputy director of Transportation and Environmental Services, told the council that crews made more than 20 passes on Duke Street alone during this storm.
“It was constantly coming down, and a lot of times we have to make multiple passes on a lot of our major primary roads,” Moorer said. “It’s up in the double digits for a lot of our primary streets.”
Unprecedented ice removal
The volume of ice generated by the storm required crews to physically remove and haul ice out of the city — an unusual measure Parajon said has not happened “in a long, long, long time.”
Approximately 200 dump truck loads of ice have been removed from Old Town and another 100 loads from Del Ray.
The city deployed more than 100 pieces of snow removal equipment, over 200 staff directly involved in plowing operations, and more than eight private contractors supported by an additional 200 contract staff.
“Unlike a typical snow event, where within 24 to 48 hours we’re into the residential streets and making significant progress, for a snow-sleet-to-ice event, to make things safe and passable takes a longer period of time,” Parajon said.
The city activated its Emergency Operations Center at 7 p.m. Saturday, a measure Parajon described as significant and used sparingly.
Schools, tracker issues
School parking lots and sidewalks were 80% cleared as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, Moore said. Alexandria City Public Schools announced students will participate in virtual learning on Wednesday, with free meals available at Alexandria City High School and Charles Barrett Elementary from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. under a USDA waiver.
Parajon acknowledged the city’s SnowReport tracker app is not providing accurate information, in part because contractors unfamiliar with street names are having difficulty reporting their progress.
“The tracker has led to some misunderstandings and frankly, inaccurate information about what’s passable and what is not passable,” Parajon said. He said the city will work to fix the system within 24 hours or provide an alternative way to report progress.
Regional challenges
Parajon pushed back on comparisons to neighboring jurisdictions, noting he has been in direct contact with Loudoun, Fairfax, and Arlington counties, all of which face similar conditions.
“All of the jurisdictions have been incredibly challenged by this unique storm event,” Parajon said. Those counties receive assistance from the Virginia Department of Transportation, but Alexandria, as an independent city, does not.
“Anecdotally, from what I can tell, we actually have been ahead of those jurisdictions in regard to how we’ve been able to maintain primary and secondary street clearing,” Parajon said.
Councilman John Chapman suggested the city explore contracting with VDOT for future storms, particularly for western streets that connect with Fairfax County.
Councilman Canek Aguirre noted a VDOT plow overturned at Van Dorn and Eisenhower during the storm.
Another storm possible
Parajon said the city is monitoring forecasts calling for additional bad weather this weekend while still recovering from this event.
“We’re in the throes of this event, but what we’re trying to do is make sure that all of our resources are ready to go should we have a second event shortly thereafter,” Parajon said. He noted staff have been working around the clock for days, and the city may need to bring in additional contractors.
What residents need to know
The city’s primary roads are 100% passable. Crews continue working in 12-hour shifts around the clock, addressing refreezing overnight while expanding into residential routes.
Trash, recycling, yard waste, and curbside composting collection is canceled Monday through Wednesday. There will be no make-up runs for those days.
DASH bus service has been running at full or modified service throughout the storm. Three city parking garages along the King Street corridor — Market Square, Court House, and Union Street — are open to help keep streets clear for plows.
The winter shelter at 2355-A Mill Road is operating 24 hours through Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 12 p.m.
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley urged residents to volunteer with Volunteer Alexandria’s Snow Buddy program to help clear steps and sidewalks for seniors and those in need. Volunteers are provided a shovel and salt.
Residents on private streets maintained by HOAs or condo associations should contact their property management about clearing. Parajon said the city can “implore” private organizations to clear their streets, but those roads are not the city’s responsibility.
How to report issues
Non-emergency concerns: 311 or 703-746-4311
Downed trees and limbs on city property: 703-746-4444
Power outages: Dominion Energy at 866-366-4357 or dominionenergy.com
Water main breaks: Virginia American Water at 800-452-6863
Emergencies: Call 911