March 5, 2015 Storm Update

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning, until 9 p.m. this evening for Northern Virginia. They expect the storm to dump 4-8 inches  of snow on the Mount Vernon area.
I have cut and pasted an excerpt from the Weather Underground's forecast as of 10:50 a.m. on the right.  You can click on it to enlarge.

The following information should help you prepare for the storm:
 

Dominion Resources Power Outage Line

1-866-366-4357

Dominion Resources Storm Center

Service Restoration Updates

Northern Virginia Outages Map

VDOT Street Problem Number
1 (800) FOR-ROAD

VDOT Real Time Plow Map
Real-Time Map of VDOT Plow Locations



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Road crews are currently treating interstates and primary roads with salt brine or anti-icing chemicals. Crews will be working overnight and through the duration of the storm treating icy roads and plowing snow.

During the storm, please avoid driving on roads.  Automobile accidents account for about 70 percent of fatalities related to ice and snow.

Winter weather driving tips and other preparations:

• Monitor your local news sources for the latest weather conditions
• Prepare your car for winter driving conditions including having an emergency kit in your vehicle
• Prepare your home for winter weather conditions in case of power outages
• Before getting behind the wheel, call 511, go to www.511virginia.org or download the 511 mobile app to get the latest road condition information
• You may also call 800-FOR-ROAD (800-637-7623) to report road hazards or ask road-related questions at VDOT's 24-hour Customer Service Center
• When driving, give yourself extra time to reach your destination, leave plenty of driving room between you and the vehicle ahead and slow down

Road priorities and neighborhood snowplow tracker:

VDOT's goal is to have all state-maintained roads passable within 48 hours after a winter storm ends

Crews first begin clearing roads with the highest traffic volumes - interstates and primary roads - and then major secondary roads, followed by subdivision streets.

A statewide network of 77 weather sensors in roadways and bridges, plus 16 mobile video platforms, allows crews to quickly identify when and where road surfaces might be freezing.

VDOT has activated a web-based neighborhood tracking map that monitors the status of plowing in Northern Virginia neighborhoods if there is more than two inches of snow. It is available at www.vdotplows.org. VDOT will be testing the tracker concept in other parts of the state this year to determine which regions are best suited for the wireless technology required for the system.

Please visit www.virginiadot.org/travel/snow/asp for more winter travel information.

Other Resources

Emergencies, Reporting Outages & Traffic Issues:

Contact information for reporting utility outages and traffic problems follow:

Dominion
NOVEC
Washington Gas
Police non-emergency numbers are:

Fairfax County:

703-691-2131  

Prince William County:

703-792-6500
 

If you have any prolonged outages or if your street is blocked, feel free to contact my office at 571.249.4484 or email me at delssurovell@house.virginia.gov.

Please prepare and be safe during the storm