Six to eight inches of snow capped by three inches of sleet, followed by extended sub-freezing temperatures, made getting around the neighborhood difficult for residents.
A unique combination of precipitation of snow and sleet created “snowcrete” on top of at least six inches of snow. This was heavy to shovel and hard for snow blowers to handle. Likewise, snow plows found it hard to move snow.
It is normal for Annandale to get clobbered with a large snowstorm once or twice a decade. In at least two occasions in the past 40 years, Annandale has been hit with back-to-back storms that overwhelmed Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) road crews — and kept schools closed for two weeks.
For days, passenger cars, buses, and trucks were having to squeeze over or back up to enable other vehicles to proceed. Cindy Lane was especially treacherous, with lots of cars parked on both sides of the road.
HTOCA directors responded to several calls for assistance. For weather events, residents should have an emergency plan, coordinate with neighbors, and call 911 if needed.
HTOCA Pressed VDOT to Clear Roads
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) this year was not able to match historic high standards of performance in clearing roads in Hillbrook-Tall Oaks. A combination of factors contributed to the slow response, but a full explanation would be helpful for the future.
At the intersection of Pacific Lane and Monterey Drive (near Poe Middle School), VDOT had to haul in a “bobcat” front-end loader to lift mounds of snow off the street; a heavy-duty plow could not handle the volume of snow.
With this latest major storm, the HTOCA notified VDOT that the initial plowing of the neighborhood was not wide enough to enable two school buses to pass each other.
Hillbrook-Tall Oaks Civic Association representatives contacted VDOT in multiple ways to try to get thorough plowing performed on an emergency basis. Email was sent to Abigail Spanberger’s office, the VDOT regional office, and to VDOT’s official website. VDOT staff members also were contacted by phone.
It is understood that VDOT was responding to a very large storm that hit a large section of central and northern Virginia. HTOCA will follow up with VDOT to understand how more effective snow-clearing can be performed, given the neighborhood’s topography and school sites.
