As winter gets closer, Alexandria City Public Schools officials indicated there will be four traditional snow days this school year and changes to how snow day decisions will be shared.
Julia Burgos, the ACPS chief of school and community relations, said the decision-making process isn’t changing, but communications will.
Alexandrians who experience the summer climate may not be surprised to learn the city is one of Northern Virginia’s heat islands, according to preliminary results from the Urban Heat Island Mapping Project.
The project, organized by Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions with George Mason University’s Virginia Climate Center and the American Red Cross-National Capital Chapter, mapped significant parts of Alexandria and Arlington plus pockets of Fairfax County that were hot all day.
Downed trees and thousands of Dominion Energy customers with power outages were without power in Alexandria after a strong thunderstorm system that rocked the region overnight into Friday.
Most power outages had been restored. More than 2,300 customers were without power at 10 a.m., and that number dropped to about about 400 by 4 p.m.
Drought conditions in Alexandria and other parts of Virginia have prompted the city’s drinking water utility to ask customers to voluntarily conserve water.
Virginia American Water issued the notice to residential customers amid the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s recent drought warning advisories. The utility says the guidance only applies to non-essential residential usage, not businesses or industries.
The heat wave is back in Alexandria this week.
The National Weather Service issued a Heat Advisory for Alexandria from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday. The real-feel heat index could climb as high as 106 degrees.
If parts of Alexandria are feeling the heat more than others, heat islands may be to blame.
The temperature is forecast to be 100 degrees on Thursday (July 16), when more than 30 teams will fan out to identify the hottest areas across Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax County. The teams from George Mason University’s Virginia Climate Center and Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions will monitor temperature and humidity variations at 30 locations as part of their “Urban Heat Island Mapping Project.”
Alexandria is facing a flood watch today (Thursday) as storms with potential for downpours are in the forecast.
The National Weather Service issued the flood watch from 2-11 p.m. in Alexandria and other parts of the D.C. region. Forecasters say strong storms developing in the afternoon have the ability to create flash flooding.
The hottest stretch of the year so far has arrived in Alexandria.
The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Extreme Heat Watch from Thursday morning through Friday evening. Under the Heat Advisory, the real-feel heat index values could reach 106 degrees. The heat index, a combination of high temperatures and humidity, could climb as high as 112 during the Extreme Heat Watch.
A drought watch with a call for voluntary water conservation has been issued for the D.C. region today (June 3).
The Metropolitan Council of Governments Drought Coordination Committee recommended the drought watch, which increases coordination, communications and monitoring of the water supply. Precipitation, groundwater levels, streamflow and reservoir levels are factors in COG’s decision to declare a drought watch.
Alexandrians starting their gardening and other yard work may want to take precautions throughout the day and overnight.
The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning from midnight to 9 a.m. Wednesday in Alexandria and surrounding areas. Forecasters say frost and freeze conditions could kill crops and potentially damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Alexandria spent $9.7 million on the Jan. 25 snow storm response, the bulk of which was attributed to outside contractors brought in due to the challenges of clearing “snowcrete.”
The winter storm brought about 8 inches of snow followed by hours of sleet and freezing rain that created a solid layer of ice on top. According to an after-action report presented to City Council Tuesday, contract services cost the city $8.4 million. City labor cost about $600,000, while materials, supplies, food and lodging for employees cost $700,000.
