Alert: National Weather Service Issues Advisory

The National Weather Service has issued a Freezing Rain Advisory for Northern Virginia that begins Sunday at 10 p.m. and continues until Monday at 9 a.m. The weather service predicts the region will see less than a tenth of an inch of ice. Precipitation will begin from the southwest and head northeast turning to rain by mid-morning Monday.

The Capital Weather Gang narrows it down, forecasting ”possible freezing rain” from 6-8 a.m. in Northern Virginia.

The Virginia Department of Transportation urges drivers to delay trips Monday to allow trucks to treat roads, as freezing rain is expected to begin overnight and last well through the morning rush hour.

“We ask drivers to plan ahead and to use extreme caution if they must drive,” said Branco Vlacich, VDOT assistant district administrator for maintenance, said in a news release. “The pretreatment crews have laid will help, but with pavement temperatures below freezing we will need to treat icy conditions repeatedly during this hours-long storm.”

Untreated roads, sidewalks and vehicles could see a thin glaze of ice, the National Weather Service warns. Some surfaces may become icy even with temperatures slightly above freezing, the weather service warns, due to the recent below-freezing temperatures. If you’re on the roadways, be especially careful in areas that are typically shaded, as well as bridges.

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This weekend, crews pre-treated major roads and trouble spots in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties. On interstates 66, 95, 395, and 495—including bridges and ramps prone to freezing such as the Springfield interchange, I-66 at Route 29 and the Capital Beltway interchange at Route 1—crews use liquid magnesium chloride. Problem spots on other major roads, such as the Fairfax County Parkway and routes 1, 7, 28, 29, 50 and 123, are pre-treated with salt brine.

Overnight tonight, about 1,450 trucks will report to stage and begin treating roads throughout Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington counties.

VDOT reminds drivers to use caution in winter weather, and:

• Check www.511virginia.org for road conditions

• Slow down and allow for extra time to reach your destination

• Be aware of potentially icy areas such as shady spots and bridges

• Get more details on snow removal in northern Virginia

Follow VDOT on Twitter for the latest information on area roadways: @vadotnova

IMAGE: National Weather Service maps shows region under Freezing Rain Advisory; updated at 5:14 p.m. on Sunday.

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