Here are some important  actions to take before a winter storm begins.

•  Bring pets indoors to keep them safe and warm. If it's too cold for you outdoors, it's too cold for them.

• Park off-street (in driveways and designated parking lots/areas) when possible to allow vehicles treating and plowing roads efficient access to public roads. 

• Secure outdoor items or store them safely,  particularly when high winds are predicted. 

• Charge electronic items, such as mobile phones, laptops and other handheld or mobile devices — and keep them fully charged in case of power outages.

• Review your resources for snow removal and unexpected, urgent services you may need for your home (such as electricians, plumbers, construction services). Check with neighbors and community leaders for suggestions.

• Monitor road conditions, and schedule or postpone travel when the weather could make driving unsafe. Need info on Virginia roads? Rely on VDOT's Virginia 511 system available on your web browser, via app, and by calling 511.

• Take Your CUE. Leave your car at home and let CUE Bus do the driving for you — and to shorten your wait with real-time bus arrival information, use NextBus (website or app) for CUE Bus and other regional bus systems.

• Report power outages to Dominion Energy. Call 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357) — or visit the Dominion Energy Outage Center, which also features power outage safety and preparation information.

• Report city-related weather issues — city street conditions, downed tree limbs and utility wires on public roads in the city — to the City of Fairfax. The city will publish contact information when the services are activated. Snow plowing begins after three or more inches of snow accumulation, and continues until all public roads are treated in the city.

• Stay off the road, if public safety officials recommend it. In case of emergency, call 9-1-1.

• Clear snow and ice promptly from sidewalks and walkways, using ice “busters” to keep pedestrian areas safe. (Check out the "Winter Salt Smart" alternatives on this page.) Even though the city does not have a law requiring property owners to remove snow and ice from sidewalks, such practices are encouraged: safe access to bus stops and school are essential for public safety. Need help shoveling? Check with your civic association or neighbors for resources and referrals.

• Driveway shoveling tips — When clearing driveways, pile snow off the street, to the left of the driveway (facing the driveway from the street). Consider waiting until after plows clear the road at your driveway, so you don't have to clear any of the plow's unintentional snow/ice spillage.

• Keep it out of the public roadway. When clearing snow from your driveway and sidewalk, refrain from putting snow and winter debris in public roads. It creates a safety hazard for pedestrians, drivers, emergency service crews, and city crews - and creates a hazard with prolonged thawing & refreezing of water on the roadway. When working with contractors, ensure workers keep snow and winter debris out of the roadway.

• Remember your local hydrant and clear snow and debris in a three-foot diameter around the hydrant so emergency crews can access it promptly. Want to "adopt" a hydrant so it stays clear year-round? Click here for more information.

• Remove snow from vehicles before getting on the road. Snow and ice flying off a traveling vehicle is a hazard that can injure people and damage other vehicles.

• Stay informed about city services, road conditions and public safety information.

• Report city-related weather issues — city street conditions, downed tree limbs and utility wires on public roads in the city — to the City of Fairfax. The city will publish contact information when the services are activated. Snow plowing begins after three or more inches of snow accumulation, and continues until all public roads are treated in the city. (Primary roads are cleared first, then secondary and residential roads are cleared.)

• Check on friends, family members, and neighbors who may need additional assistance, and provide help as you can. 

Being “winter salt smart” can save you money and protect the environment from unintended harm, without reducing safety. 

We encourage you to consider “salternatives,” such as kitty litter, sand, and other abrasive materials. This will help you save money and protect the environment, without reducing safety,

If you do use salt or other chemical deicers, here are some best practices:

• Limit the need for chemical deicers by shoveling snow from driveways and sidewalks early and often.
• Apply deicers according to manufacturers’ instructions — after snowfall has stopped and snow has been shoveled.
• Sweep up excess deicer to prevent it from washing into storm drains, and save it to reuse for future snows.

Why find alternatives?

• Salt that washes into storm drains winds up in our drinking water, making it taste unappealing and possibly cause health problems for those on salt-restricted diets.

• Salt is corrosive and can damage critical infrastructure such as bridges, pipes, buildings, and vehicles.

• Winter salt can be harmful to aquatic life in lakes and streams because freshwater fish and other aquatic life are not adapted to salty water. 

Resources

• Resident Snow and Ice Management Tips
• Property Management Snow and Ice Management Tips

Fairfax City's salt use — City crews pre-treat roadways with salt brine, which reduces salt usage over the course of a snow event and allows roadways to resist snow accumulations longer. Plows can more easily clear accumulated snow.

There are currently no regulations for salt application; however, the City of Fairfax is a stakeholder in the development of the regional Salt Management Strategy (SaMS), a partnership with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and state and local entities. 

Here is the SaMS toolkit for residents (and contractors hired by residents and homeowner associations): https://www.novaregion.org/1498/SaMS-Toolkit.

Fairfax City winter weather resources

• City of Fairfax Winter Weather Safety Checklist
  
• Public Works Snow & Ice Control
• Snow & Ice Control Brochure

Still have questions about inclement winter weather in the city? E-mail WeCare@fairfaxva.gov, or call 703-385-7800 during business hours.

Social media resources

National Weather Service: Baltimore/Washington

• Website: weather.gov/lwx or weather.gov/washington 

• Twitter: @NWS_BaltWash

• Facebook: @NWSBaltWash
  

Virginia 511

• Website: 511virginia.org
• Twitter: @511statewideva

Department of Transportation, NoVa District

• Twitter: @VaDOTNOVA
  

Virginia Department of Transportation (statewide)

• Website: VirginiaDOT.org
• Twitter: @VaDOT
• Facebook: @VirginiaDOT

A few things to remember:

• When shoveling snow, remember your local fire hydrant. Please remove snow within five feet of the hydrant so firefighters can access it immediately in case of emergency.

• Check on your neighbors, especially those who are new to the area or may need additional information or help. Please help them as you are able.