stea1thviper

hey all,

am on the lookout for a potential job relocation fairly soon in Ashburn, Virgina and wondering if there was any information you could give me relating to how the weather is year round? does it snow? how cold/hot/humid does it get? will i need my cold weather gear in march? would needing a garage for my car be essential? also any advice on how the people and culture are over there would be much appreciated.

i grew up in socal, but have lived in illinois for four years as well. could not stand the 0 degree mornings and 20 degree evenings thru the end of april.

ks1g

Welcome to NoVA! Ashburn is one of the large multi-builder subdivisions that sprung up during the 1990s-early 2000s building boom. Lots of apartments, townhomes, and single-family. There are a number of employers in the office parks off Waxpool from Rt 28 heading west, and more along the Dulles Toll Rd/Rt 267 corridor, Rt 28, and, of course, Tysons Corner and east into DC.

Weather: Lots of variety, with specific seasons depending on the overall weather patterns as far as hot/cold wet/dry. Summers are usually hot & humid, esp. August (there's a reason Congress beats it out of town) but this summer was quite moderate by my experience. Winters can range from "what is this snow you speak of?" to 1-1.5 ft+ snarling everything for days, although recent winters have tended towards the dryer/milder side. A lot of DC-area drivers have no clue how to handle snow, and even the forecast of a dusting sets off a stampede for milk, eggs, and toilet paper. Almost-year-round riding is feasible, as long as you dress for it and don't ride on the few days when there is ice/snow on your routes. Spring and Fall generally have great weather, last spring was quite dry, some have been very rainy.

March can be changeable but it won't be cold - Jan and Feb are the traditional cold months. My cut off is about 20 deg depending on wind, and there were only a few days I decided to drive. It won't be that cold by March. Realtors joke that when folks from snow belt ask about garages, the reply is - "for a car, or for stuff?" (we have 1 slot for car, 1 for stuff (incl. bikes) although I'd like to have my other car inside as well. But I grew up in snow country, so it's genetic for me). You can manage without a garage. People are from all over, this is definitely not the South (just ask anyone from Richmond).

There is an excellent paved trail cutting e-w through Ashburn - the Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD). Runs 15 mi west to Purcelville and 27 miles east into Arlington, with connecting trail (Custis) into DC. Very heavy use on nice weekends. A lot of the Ashburn roads are wide enough to be safely bikeable, too. Also lots of bike clubs - potomac pedalers (bikepptc.org) is one of the larger ones; Reston Bike Club (restonbikeclub.org) runs weeknight and weekend rides thru the area. bikewashington.org is a good starting point for DC-area biking info.

2 bike shops in Ashburn: Pedal Shop (Ashburn Rd @ W&OD) and Spokes' Ashburn store (up near Rt 7). 2 more shops in Leesburg (Plum Grove & Bicycle Outfitters) and more in Herndon (A-1) and Reston (Bike Lane, Performance). Several racing teams if you are into it.

The big issue with Ashburn (heck, ALL of NoVA) is TRAFFIC. If you work and live in Ashburn it is OK, if you live in Ashburn and work in Reston, or especially Tysons Corner or DC, consider moving further east. There is a serviceable commuter bus network out of Herndon and Reston, but not much of one once you move west into Sterling and Ashburn.

Hope this helps.

tulip

I currently live in Richmond (and love it). I worked in NoVA (Northern Virginia) and lived in DC and Maryland for six years, though. Ashburn, as stated, is quite suburban. DC has alot to offer, so I hope you go there sometime.

Weather is good, not cold much. Very muggy in the summer. Best of luck.