Due to the forecast for a major winter storm beginning tonight, the City of Falls Church has declared a snow emergency today, Friday, Dec. 18, 2009.

The Snow Emergency Declaration was issued by the Mayor at 2 p.m. today, pursuant to the City’s Emergency Operations Plan.  The snow emergency is effective immediately and until further notice is issued, so citizens must remove parked cars from snow emergency routes. The no parking requirement will be enforced by the Falls Church Police Department on designated snow emergency routes (see list of streets below).

These routes are essential transportation corridors for the City and must remain clear in order to allow snow removal crews to clear the roads.  Citizens are also encouraged wherever possible to not park cars on any streets so snow plows have unheeded passage.

In preparation for this major snowfall, City crews have driven every City street today to make sure they are clear of leaves, making passage easier for snow plows.

City streets will also be pre-treated before the snow begins to fall.  Falls Church City crews will work around the clock to ensure streets are safe and passable. First priority for salting, sanding, and plowing will be snow emergency routes.  Upon completion of clearing emergency routes, City crews will clear all other City streets.

Because of the large amount of snow expected, it may take more than one day for crews to clear all City streets, and residents are urged to be patient.

Traffic signs identify which City streets are snow emergency routes.  Vehicles abandoned or parked on snow emergency routes may be towed and fined.

The traffic emergency routes are:

• Annandale Road from Hillwood Avenue to Broad Street

• Broad Street from Haycock Road to Seven Corners

• Columbia Street from Maple Avenue to Tuckahoe Street

• Great Falls Street from West Street to Washington Street

• Hillwood Avenue from Washington Street to Seven Corners

• Lincoln Avenue from West Street to Yucatan Street

• Little Falls Street from Broad Street to Great Falls Street

• Maple Avenue from Annandale Road to Columbia Street

• Park Avenue from West Street to Washington Street

• Roosevelt Street from Hillwood Avenue to Roosevelt Boulevard

• Washington Street from Graham Road to Westmoreland Street

• West Street from Abbott Lane to Great Falls Street

For more information regarding snow emergencies and closings visit www.fallschurchva.gov .