[Archived] City of Alexandria Operating Status and Weather Updates for February 18, 2021

For Immediate Release: February 18, 2021

For Thursday, February 18, 2021, all City of Alexandria government facilities and courts will be closed. Emergency personnel should report as scheduled.

The City is under a Winter Storm Warning until 6 a.m. on Friday, February 19. Heavy snow along with sleet and freezing rain is forecast, with potential accumulation of 3 to 6 inches. City crews have pretreated snow emergency, primary, and secondary routes and have been fully mobilized to respond to the storm. The City is monitoring conditions and urges residents to be prepared for potentially icy and slippery road and walkways.

Refuse and Recycling Collection

The City’s refuse and recycling collection will be postponed on Thursday, February 18. Due to the existing holiday schedule adjustments and inclement weather, Wednesday routes will be collected on Friday, and Thursday routes will be collected on Saturday.

Clearing Sidewalks and Walkways

Storms are designated with levels based on type and severity, from Level 1 (least severe) to Level 3 (most severe), and storm levels are updated on the City’s website as the weather changes.

Clearing sidewalks, driveways and entrances is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner, occupant, community association or business. Time limits for clearing snow are determined by the storm level:

Level 1: 24 hours after snowfall stops
Level 2: 48 hours after snowfall stops
Level 3: 72 hours after snowfall stops

A final storm level determination will be made once the expected precipitation ends, and the City will announce the timing for the sidewalk clearing ordinance enforcement. It is easier and safer to clear sidewalks multiple times during the event rather than wait for the storm to end.

Cancellations

The Alexandria Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic on February 18 has been rescheduled. Staff, volunteers, and those with vaccine appointments will receive an email with instructions on how to reschedule. Anyone with an appointment will not lose their place in line.

Visit alexandriava.gov for more weather-related information and updates, including additional cancellations.

For inquiries from the news media only, contact Andrea Blackford, Senior Communications Officer, at andrea.blackford@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3959.