Virginia Snow Storm 2013: Annandale Closings, Weather, Traffic

Update Wednesday 4:00 p.m.

According to an update from Del. Kaye Kory (D-38th), heavy, wet snow is falling in much of Dominion Power's service territory with particularly heavy snow falling in the far western suburbs of Richmond and Northern Virginia. The snow is accompanied by increasing winds. 

Dominion Virginia Power said its crews and trucks were prepared for the storm and are responding to power outages as quickly as it is safe to do so. Driving conditions remain hazardous in much of Dominion's service territory. Residents are reminded to stay away from downed power lines and avoid driving in hazardous conditions if at all possible. 

Winds will peak late Wednesday afternoon with gusts up to 45 mph possible across Dominion’s service territory.

As of 1:30 p.m., Dominon Power reported having approximately 110,000 outages. There are just over 14,000 outages in Northern Virginia and approximately 9,300 outages in the Richmond area. Dominion’s entire team, supplemented by outside resources, is mobilized. There are more than 4,200 personnel and 520 bucket trucks currently working.

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Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has declared a state of emergency due to the winter storm impacting the state.

The move authorizes state agencies to assist local governments responding to the snowstorm.

McDonnell's office says more than 12 inches of snow has fallen in locations along the northern I-81 corridor, and about 170,000 customers in Virginia are without power.

See photos of Annandale residents enjoying the snow on Wednesday.

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Del. Kaye Kory (D-38th) says residents should expect conditions to worsen and several power outages have already been reported in Northern Virginia.

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Fairfax County Government offices and services will close at Noon Wednesday. Fairfax County Courts are also closed.

All Fairfax County library branches, including the George Mason Regional Library, will close at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Braddock District Supervisor John Cook's transportation town hall meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening is now canceled due to the storm. The meeting will be rescheduled for a later, to be announced date.

Northern Virginia Community College announced at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday that all classes and activities are canceled on Wednesday.

Fairfax County Public Schools announced at 4:30 a.m. that schools will be closed Wednesday.

The following activities in schools and on school grounds are canceled:

• extracurricular activities
• interscholastic contests
• team practices
• field trips
• middle school after-school programs
• professional learning and training courses
• all adult and community education classes
• recreation programs and community use by outside groups not affiliated with FCPS
• School Age Child Care (SACC) centers are closed.

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Annandale and the Northern Virginia area could see some significant snow Tuesday through Wednesday beginning around midnight Tuesday.

Wet, heavy snow with winds of up to 25 miles per hour, with gusts up to 35 miles per hour, are also possible.

Meteorologist Calvin Meadows with the Baltimore-Washington forecast office for the National Weather Service told Patch Tuesday afternoon that Annandale and other areas of the region could see rain as early as 7 p.m. Tuesday. A wintry mix is predicted to fall between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. as the temperature drops in the evening.

See also: 

• Annandale Grocery Stores Expecting Tuesday Evening Rush Ahead of Storm
• Dominion Power Prepares For Winter Storm Outages
• Weather Radar: Watch Winter Storm Coming to Annandale
• Annandale Under Winter Storm Watch
• Snow Storm Prep: Food to Buy
• Map: How Much Snow Has Fallen in Annandale?
• Snow Update from National Weather Service for Fairfax County: 'Worst-Case Scenario — 12 Inches of Snow'
• Winter Storm Emergency Preparedness Tips
• Driving Tips for Snow

Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, check here for all service and road closures as they happen.

Until the snow begins, here's some information to keep on hand:

Road Conditions, Closings

• Use Patch's commute page for live traffic maps before you leave the office. Snow will mix with rain around 4 p.m., just in time for the afternoon rush.
• Check Patch's commute hub for the latest information on Metro, buses and driving conditions. 
• The Virginia Department of Transportation keeps a map with all incidents, road work and closures here: 511virginia.org

Emergency Information

• Fairfax County Public Schools will have information about any school delays or cancelations through these outlets (or, you can stick with Patch and we'll let you know).
• Fairfax County Emergency Information Blog.

Power Outages

• To report an outage to Dominion Power, call 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357). To see Dominion's online outage map, click here. 
• You should report your power outage to Dominion Power even if you think your neighbor already has reported it.

Get up to the minute news on Annandale Patch's Facebook and Twitter pages, and in our breaking news alerts.