The Alexandria Brief: Monday, March 2

Good morning, Alexandria. Today is Monday, March 2 — the 61st day of 2026, with 304 days left in the year.

A Winter Weather Advisory from the National Weather Service is in effect as a wintry mix moves in this afternoon, with snow likely after 2 p.m. and slick conditions possible overnight. City crews are pre-treating roads, but if the forecast holds, we’ll trade flakes for springlike warmth by midweek — with highs pushing the mid-70s by Thursday.

Plus, local musician Mike “Rook” Richards will swap his usual soundboard duties for the spotlight as grand marshal of the Ballyshaners 43rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and the three candidates in the April 21 special election are sitting down for live, one-on-one interviews with The Alexandria Brief.

My wife, Jen, and I also had the chance to attend and support the 9th Annual Empty Bowls Alexandria on Saturday, a wonderful evening supporting ALIVE! and its critical work fighting food insecurity and housing instability. Thank you to the organizers, local restaurants, sponsors, and everyone who showed up for neighbors in need.

Here’s what you need to know today.

~ Ryan

1️⃣ Alexandria braces for wintry mix Monday, warm-up expected by week's end

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria area tonight as city crews pre-treat roads ahead of a wintry mix forecast to develop Monday afternoon, with a dramatic warm-up expected to take hold later in the week.

The National Weather Service's Baltimore/Washington forecast office issued the advisory, which runs through 10 a.m. Tuesday, covering Fairfax, southeast Prince William, southeast Montgomery, and southeast Howard counties, in addition to the Alexandria area.

Snow is likely to develop after 2 p.m. Monday, with temperatures reaching a high near 38 degrees and northeast winds of 6 to 8 mph. Less than a half-inch of daytime accumulation is possible. Conditions are expected to worsen overnight, when rain mixed with snow and patchy fog near 11 p.m. push precipitation chances to 80%, with temperatures dropping to around 32 degrees.

2️⃣ From busking King Street to leading the parade: Rook Richards comes home as Alexandria's St. Patrick's Day grand marshal

Mike "Rook" Richards has spent years chasing music across the country. But on Saturday, he'll be riding down King Street in a car — no guitar, no microphone — simply waving to the city that made him.

Richards is the 2026 Grand Marshal of the Ballyshaners 43rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, set for Saturday, March 7, in Old Town. The procession steps off at St. Asaph and Wolfe streets at 12:30 p.m., with dignitaries leading at 12:15 p.m. The route heads north on St. Asaph to King Street, turns east on King — past the grandstand near Royal Street — then south on Pitt Street, finishing at Pitt and Duke.

3️⃣ City Council candidates to sit down with Alexandria Brief for live interviews

The three candidates running for City Council in the April 21 Special Election will sit down with The Alexandria Brief this week for a live one-on-one interview.

The interview will stream live on alexandriabrief.com, the Alexandria Brief YouTube page, and the Alexandria Brief Facebook page. It will also be available afterward as a video recording, podcast, and transcript.

📰 In brief

This week in Alexandria: Budget talks, housing plan, and a St. Patrick's Day parade. City Council and the School Board meet jointly Wednesday to review ACPS's FY 2027 spending request. The Planning Commission opens discussion on Housing 2040 on Tuesday. A Landmark corridor pre-construction meeting is on Thursday. And the Ballyshaners' 43rd St. Patrick's Day Parade steps off Saturday at 12:15 p.m. on King Street. The Alexandria Brief

North Van Dorn reopened after multi-vehicle collision Sunday. Alexandria Police closed N. Van Dorn Street between Sanger Avenue and Holmes Run Parkway in both directions while investigating the collision. The road reopened at 6:09 p.m. Alexandria Police

For Five Coffee planned for Old Town. The artisanal coffee chain is opening its fourth Virginia location at 425 Montgomery Street in the upcoming mixed-use building. For Five has signed a 10-year lease for the 3,443-square-foot space. WhatNow

How searching for World Cup tickets led to Alexandria becoming a FIFA base camp. Episcopal High School's director of auxiliary programs stumbled on FIFA's application process while looking for tickets — and connected with city officials to put together a winning bid. Croatia's national team will train on Episcopal's Bermuda grass pitches and stay at Hotel AKA Alexandria during the tournament. "This is just something our community is really, really, truly buzzing about," said Visit Alexandria's Todd O'Leary. WTOP

On this day in Alexandria's history: In 1867, two to three hundred Black men met at The Lyceum to demand the right to vote in upcoming municipal elections. City officials agreed African Americans could cast ballots, but their votes would not be counted. Two companies of U.S. troops were sent to keep the peace as about 1,000 African Americans voted for the Union ticket; the Fifteenth Amendment granting voting rights wasn't passed until 1870. In 1958, Alexandria City Public Schools had 41 vacancies on its staff of 610 professional positions; the minimum teacher salary was $3,900 a year. Historic Alexandria

Today in Alexandria

Weather: Snow likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 38 degrees. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible.

Rain, possibly mixed with snow, tonight. Patchy fog between 11 p.m. and midnight. Low around 32 degrees. Light east wind. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible.

🗓️ Things To Do

9 a.m.: Monday Morning Coffee Club at Rosemont Cellar
10:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.: Baby Time at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
11 a.m.: Storytime in the Reading Garden at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
1 p.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
3 p.m.: AAR Movie Series at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
4 p.m.: Restful Readaloud at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
4 p.m.: Sensory Storytime at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
5:30 p.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) 2 Workshop - Intermediate Conversation at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
5:30 p.m.: Teen Takover at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
6:30 p.m.: Joggers & Lagers at Port City Brewing Company
6:30 p.m.: Alexandria Theology on Tap at Murphy's Grand Irish Pub