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Three days after a powerful winter storm struck the Washington region, thick ice continued to make travel hazardous across parts of McLean on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025.
Jennifer Myers, who lives near McLean High School, said about an inch of compacted ice had accumulated on neighborhood roads, creating risks for drivers and pedestrians.
“A large tree service truck spun out for 30 minutes, ending up sideways and blocking the entire width of our street,” Myers said. She added that even her large SUV began spinning despite being capable of handling deep snow.
Residents reported difficulty reaching grocery stores, workplaces, medical appointments and pharmacies. Photos taken Wednesday showed lingering snow and ice on Brawner Street, Enterprise Avenue, Rupert Street and other roads, including Beverly Road downtown.
The conditions appeared to conflict with the Virginia Department of Transportation’s snowplow tracking map, which marked all areas of McLean as complete. Some residents said no plow had reached their streets, while others reported that ice remained after plowing.
“I worry that we still won’t be safe after they ‘clear’ our streets,” Myers said.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman’s office had received about 100 complaints that week about inadequate plowing in McLean and the Falls Church area. His office forwarded the reports to VDOT, which owns and maintains nearly all roads in Fairfax County, and requested reviews and further action where needed.
VDOT crews had been working around the clock in 12-hour shifts since the storm arrived Monday, Jan. 6. However, the agency considers a residential street complete once it is passable—not necessarily cleared to bare pavement.
VDOT spokesperson Ellen Kamilakis said a passable subdivision road has an 8- to 10-foot-wide path that motorists can navigate with caution. The standard is intended to give emergency vehicles access, and snow or ice can remain even after several plow passes.
Kamilakis said the intersection of Rupert Street and Lemon Road met that definition. Once all subdivision roads were passable, she said, crews would revisit locations that had generated complaints. Maintenance workers planned to return to the Rupert and Lemon intersection because it was on that list.
Bierman said he had observed inconsistent plowing quality among areas labeled complete.
“We will continue to demand that VDOT improve the roads that do not seem passable through additional plowing and/or salt and sand application, especially in our hilly neighborhoods,” he said.
Myers reported Thursday morning that crews had salted some nearby streets overnight, but estimated that about half of the neighborhood’s roads remained covered in solid ice.
The problem extended beyond McLean. Monday’s storm dropped 6 to 10 inches of snow across the area, and Fairfax County Public Schools canceled classes for a fourth consecutive day. Superintendent Michelle Reid pointed to continuing hazards at snow-covered bus stops and sidewalks when announcing Thursday’s closure.
The cleanup also faced a looming deadline. Forecasters placed the chance of snow Friday night at 80%, followed by a 30% chance Saturday, Jan. 11. A hazardous weather outlook warned of a slight winter-storm threat from Saturday into Sunday that could cause further travel disruptions.