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An overnight snowstorm brought much of Fairfax County to a standstill Monday, Jan. 6, suspending bus and trash services as officials urged residents to avoid hazardous roads.
Fairfax Connector stopped all bus service at 7:46 a.m. The Fairfax County Department of Transportation said safety was its top priority and planned to reassess conditions later in the morning. Passengers were advised to monitor the system’s website, social media and BusTracker for updates.
County trash and recycling collection was also canceled for the day, along with vacuum leaf service. The Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, which serves about 10% of county residents, said operations would resume when road conditions allowed. Some private trash haulers suspended their routes as well.
The I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex disposal centers remained scheduled to operate during regular hours.
Herndon public works crews began plowing roads around 2 a.m. The town canceled Monday’s recycling pickup but asked residents to leave bins at the curb for collection Tuesday.
Vienna postponed Monday’s waste collection until Tuesday, weather permitting. The town also canceled its evening council meeting and all classes and programs at the Vienna Community Center, Bowman House Arts and Crafts Center and Club Phoenix Teen Center.
Between 4 and 8 inches of snow had already been reported across the Washington region. The Virginia Department of Transportation urged people to stay off the roads so crews could continue clearing them.
VDOT said its Northern Virginia crews had entered “push mode,” making repeated passes as heavy snow continued. The district had approximately 3,000 pieces of equipment available for the storm.
Virginia State Police responded to eight Northern Virginia crashes between midnight and 4 a.m. None involved reported injuries, and officials noted that the weather might not have caused every collision. Statewide, police had handled 181 crashes since 4 p.m., including 20 involving reported injuries.
Metro limited bus operations to a small number of routes along major roads. Rail service began normally and was running smoothly as of 10:24 a.m., although the transit authority warned that operations could change if snowfall exceeded 8 inches.
The National Weather Service raised its forecast for the D.C. area to 6 to 10 inches, with isolated locations potentially receiving as much as 12 inches. A Winter Storm Warning remained in effect until 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Forecasters expected a possible lull from late Monday morning through midday, followed by another round of snow during the afternoon and evening.
VDOT said snow, rain, freezing rain and sleet had left many state-maintained roads in western and northern Virginia partly covered by snow or ice. Crews were working around the clock, but repeated plowing passes would be necessary and travelers should not expect bare pavement during or immediately after the storm.
Interstates and limited-access highways were receiving first priority. Primary roads and heavily traveled secondary routes serving emergency and public facilities were next, followed by lower-volume roads and subdivision streets as crews and equipment became available.