Snow Recap: How Alexandria City Staff Responded To January Winter Storm

ALEXANDRIA, VA — More than a week after a winter storm dropped nearly a foot of snow around the D.C. region, Alexandria's city manager detailed the efforts city workers put into the response. City Council members overall praised the response while suggesting a few tweaks for improvement.

On Tuesday, City Manager James Parajon outlined the city response to the storm at a Tuesday meeting with the new City Council. In about 24 hours between Sunday, Jan. 5 and Monday, Jan. 6, the winter storm brought 8 to 10 inches of snow to Alexandria, the city government estimated.

According to the city manager, more than 200 city staff worked "around the clock" to respond to the storm in addition to the regular public safety staffing. Crews cleared 161 lane miles of roadways, 20 Alexandria City Public Schools facilities, 12 recreational facilities and five Metro stations.

Snow removal falls under the city's Transportation and Environmental Services, which prepares for winter weather several months in advance through dry runs, testing and training. Before the snow started, crews pre-treated roads, bridges, overpasses and other areas with brine.

"One of the things that I'm really proud of our team is a lot of preparation that goes into this, a lot of planning, a lot of practice and then some great, skilled staff to execute and be successful in helping our residents and businesses," Parajon said.

The city's snow operations center was open from 7 a.m. to midnight before the storm and 24 hours during the storm. Crews worked in 12-hour shifts during the storm to clear snow and ice from the roads. In addition, public works responded to over 100 service requests related to the snow and ice and three water main breaks.

Following the larger winter storm earlier in the week, a second storm leading into the weekend extended the clearing efforts.

"Thanks to the dedication and efficiencies of our team, 90 percent of those roads were cleared by Saturday despite another 1.5 inches of snow the night before," said Parajon. "This rapid progress highlights the rapid progress of our snow response, and commitment to keeping our streets clear and safe for our businesses and our residents."

Mayor Alyia Gaskins said crews were not just following data-driven strategies to clear roads but also responding to the 311 requests from residents. She noted a few residents reported that they didn't know how to submit a 311 request and called on the city manager's team to help inform residents on the methods to make a report.

New Councilmember Abdel Elnoubi said he visited the city's operations center to see the behind-the-scenes work during the storm.

"The dedication and the pride that staff take in their work was pretty good to see for someone who was just coming in," said Elnoubi.

Councilmember John Taylor Chapman said he received both positive and negative emails about the city response but praised the city's efforts amidst multiple rounds of snow. However, he pointed to residents looking to the city's clearing progress on when residents need to clear sidewalks under the city's requirements.

"What I'd love to see in the future, because we will another snow storm at some point is us understanding what our timeline and how long it takes us to clear our stuff," said Chapman.

Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley reminded residents of Volunteer Alexandria's Snow Buddy program, which can pair people to help people such as seniors or those with disabilities needing help with clearing.