School bus drivers tested routes Saturday; ACPS to reopen Tuesday with possible delay
Day 7 of snow response; city running out of places to store snow
Alexandria is on day seven of its snow response, with crews still hauling snow from major intersections and running out of places to put it, Mayor Alyia Gaskins said in a video update Sunday morning.
Dangerfield Island and Four Mile Run Park have reached capacity, and the city can’t just dump snow anywhere—temperatures are expected to rise this week, and officials want to avoid flooding. Northern Virginia Community College is now letting the city store snow on its property.
Crews are prioritizing high-crash intersections to restore visibility, then using data from walk audits and safe routes to school programs to target the most-used pedestrian routes.
The storm, which hit last weekend, was the worst in 30 years, City Manager Jim Parajon told the council Tuesday. More than 7 inches of snow turned to solid ice after hours of freezing rain and sleet, requiring crews to make 20-plus passes on some major roads.
Schools
Alexandria City Public Schools will remain virtual Monday—the fifth consecutive day—with a goal of reopening Tuesday, possibly with a two-hour delay, the district announced Sunday afternoon.
All buildings and offices will be closed Monday due to sidewalks that are not yet safe for students to walk to school or wait for the bus. Monday is expected to be the first day above freezing in nine days.
Crews have been working to remove what the district called “snowcrete”—thick, compacted layers of frozen snow and ice requiring specialized equipment.
Students have not been in school buildings since Thursday, Jan. 22. Friday was a professional learning day, the storm hit Sunday, and Monday was an already-scheduled teacher work day. The district has been virtual every school day since—11 days without in-person learning by Monday.
School bus drivers did a dry run Saturday and reported problem areas to the city, which sent strike teams to address them. As of Sunday morning, 99% of sidewalks around schools were clear and parking lots were more than 80% clear.
Free meals for children under 18 are available Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Alexandria City High School (3330 King St., Door 34) and Charles Barrett Elementary (1115 Martha Custis Dr.).
Sidewalks
“The key issue remains sidewalk, sidewalk, sidewalks,” Gaskins said.
The city is focusing on sidewalks it owns, but is urging residents who haven’t shoveled to make it a priority today. Sidewalk fine enforcement remains suspended.
Gaskins explained why roads came first: emergency vehicles need safe routes, and DASH buses are critical for many residents. That doesn’t mean pedestrians were ignored—crews cleared 119 bus stops Saturday and continue working on crosswalks and pedestrian crossings.
Residents who need help clearing sidewalks—or can lend a hand—are encouraged to sign up for the city’s Snow Buddy Program.
Trails
Holmes Run Trail is 60% passable. Four Mile Run Trail is 100% passable. Work continues today on Eisenhower and Braddock trails.
Government shutdown
Gaskins said the city is also monitoring the partial government shutdown, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, after Congress failed to approve a spending deal. The House is expected to vote Monday evening.
The shutdown carries particular weight in Alexandria, where approximately 13,000 federal employees live and 20% of the workforce holds federal jobs—well above the Northern Virginia average.
“We continue to do our snow operations, but we’re also being proactive in preparing should we have to navigate a potential shutdown,” Gaskins said.
Residents can contact FedImpact-AlexTax@alexandriava.gov or visit alexandriava.gov/FederalWorkers.
Weather
A Cold Weather Advisory remains in effect until 1 p.m., with wind chills as low as 10 below.
Today will be sunny early, then partly sunny, with a high near 25 and gusts up to 38 mph. Tonigh,t mostly clear with a low around 14 and wind chills near -1.
Monday looks warmer with sunshine and a high near 33. A slight winter storm threat remains for late Tuesday night into Wednesday, with a 30% chance of snow.
Transit
Metro rail and bus are operating weekend service—check wmata.com/snow for detours before traveling. DASH snow detours remain in effect at dashbus.com/snow.
Trash and recycling
Regular trash, recycling, yard waste and curbside compost collection resumes Monday, the city announced Sunday evening. Residents may place bins out on their regularly scheduled day.
If you have extra waste that won’t fit in your bin, trash can be dropped off free at the ReWorld Waste-to-Energy facility at 5301 Eisenhower Ave. Recyclables can go to any city-operated Recycling Drop-Off Center
Where to warm up
The winter shelter at 2355-A Mill Road is open 24 hours through noon Tuesday, Feb. 3. Call 703-746-6551.
Warming centers are open at five recreation centers: Charles Houston, Chick Armstrong, Mount Vernon, Patrick Henry, and William Ramsay. Four library branches—Beatley Central, Barrett, Burk,e and Duncan—are also available.
Solid coverage of the logistics nightmare here. The detail about using data from walk audits and safe routes programs to prioritize sidewalk clearing really shows how crisis planning benefits from existing infrastucture knowledge. Working in city operations myself, I've seen how that kind of institutional memory gets overlooked when everyones scrambling.