How do you define the boundaries of NOVA? (Arlington, Alexandria: homes, live)

[THEZMAN]

When people say NOVA, does that include the north west, north east or both parts of Va?
I'm interested in the north west section. Also, is snow guaranteed each year. How often
do you have a White Christmas?

[FindingZen]

Generally, NOVA is defined as the City of Alexandria and Arlington (County) as well as the counties of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford, and perhaps Spotsylvania (at least the area immediately surrounding the City of Fredericksburg). Some might include Fauquier and Culpeper Counties if only for their relatively convenience to the more far-flung job centers.

It looks like you may be thinking of (western) Loudoun County or perhaps further down along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Those areas may be more likely to get snow than closer to DC which is more prone to get ice. The twin three-foot snowstorms that paralyzed the area last winter were an extreme aberration. I've only been here five years but I don't recall a White Christmas during any of them.

[SteelCityRising]

Tone509 pretty much nailed this for you. Technically Berryville (Clarke County) and Winchester/Frederick County are also part of the larger metro area due to the increasing number of power-commuters moving there and working in the more immediate suburbs of DC, but culturally speaking Berryville and Winchester offer a much slower (and less expensive) quality-of-life than you'd find once you hit Leesburg and points eastward. Even the small towns in Western Loudoun County (Bluemont, Round Hill, Purcellville, Hamilton) are generally very quiet. It's not until Leesburg that you really feel like you're in the high-stress environment of Greater DC with the insane housing prices, unforgiving traffic congestion, stuck-up people, etc. To the south/southwest Gainesville and Haymarket are pretty much the furthest points DC's sphere of influence touches. That tapers quickly when you hit Warrenton, The Plains, Middleburg, and Bristow. To the south Fredericksburg is often used as the "dividing line" between Metro DC and the "real" South. So basically draw a line from Fredericksburg up to Warrenton and then up to Leesburg, and you have the rough periphery of the NoVA sprawl line, give or take a few miles here and there.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

Tone509 pretty much nailed this for you. Technically Berryville (Clarke County) and Winchester/Frederick County are also part of the larger metro area due to the increasing number of power-commuters moving there and working in the more immediate suburbs of DC, but culturally speaking Berryville and Winchester offer a much slower (and less expensive) quality-of-life than you'd find once you hit Leesburg and points eastward. Even the small towns in Western Loudoun County (Bluemont, Round Hill, Purcellville, Hamilton) are generally very quiet. It's not until Leesburg that you really feel like you're in the high-stress environment of Greater DC with the insane housing prices, unforgiving traffic congestion, stuck-up people, etc.

Thanks for largely agreeing with me. I don't know if I'd consider Leesburg to be a particularly stressful, expensive area though, but I know that we each come from different reference points.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by THEZMAN

When people say NOVA, does that include the north west, north east or both parts of Va?
I'm interested in the north west section. Also, is snow guaranteed each year. How often
do you have a White Christmas?

A white Christmas is fairly rare. I was born in Virginia, and I think it's only happened 3-4 times in my life. Mid January to mid March tend to be snowier. In general, we don't get much snow. If you live out near the mountains, snow will be a little likelier (but not all that much). However.... we do, on occasion, get heavy snow years. Last year was a heavy snow year, and some predictions say this year will be too.

I think Tone's description of Nova's boundaries is excellent. As for stress, I agree that it probably depends on what you're comparing it to. I don't really think any part of Nova is that stressful. But I've lived in some major metro areas like Los Angeles. I've also lived in smaller towns like Buffalo, NY, and IMO Buffalo was much more stressful than Loudoun County. However, that's just my opinion.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by Tone509

. . .I don't know if I'd consider Leesburg to be a particularly stressful, expensive area though, but I know that we each come from different reference points.

It wasn't before; it is now. At least the east side on Rte 7 and nearby radius south on Rte15/Rte 7 west and Rte 15 north towards Lucketts. When I moved to Loudoun Co about 20 yrs ago, the only things outside of Leesburg were horse farms and a few older homes.

Those interchanges can be dicey. About two weeks ago, there was some accident in that area that completely blocked Rte 7 west. Anybody that needed to go home that way (Purcellvillle, Round Hill, Berryville, Winchester, etc.) got stuck.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx

It wasn't before; it is now. At least the east side on Rte 7 and nearby radius south on Rte15/Rte 7 west and Rte 15 north towards Lucketts. When I moved to Loudoun Co about 20 yrs ago, the only things outside of Leesburg were horse farms and a few older homes.

Those interchanges can be dicey. About two weeks ago, there was some accident in that area that completely blocked Rte 7 west. Anybody that needed to go home that way (Purcellvillle, Round Hill, Berryville, Winchester, etc.) got stuck.

I'll take your word for it regarding the stressful traffic. That Route 7 accident sounds pretty ghastly. And I'm sure that, even adjusted for inflation, things are more expensive now in Leesburg than they were when you first moved out there. My point, which you may relate to depending on where in South Jersey you lived, is that as someone who grew up in another larger Northeastern metro area, my impression of Leesburg isn't of a particularly stressful or expensive place...my lack of rush-hour traffic experience, notwithstanding. To me, that critical point comes closer in, perhaps around Dulles as one approaches the Fairfax County line. Of course, one's mileage -figuratively and literally - may surely vary.

You do help support my thoughts that NOVA as a whole developed later and more rapidly than a lot of other largely suburban areas.

[Appalachianwx71]

Good call by the previous posters. Frederickburg to Leesburg is the south and west boundary of NOVA. Though there are a lot of people who live further west and north of that line, ex:, Winchester, Luray, Frederick Md, Hagerstown, Md and charlestown, WV are considered part of the DC metro area. Hagerstown may be a bit stretching it though, but a lot of people do cummute down I 70 and 270 or to FDK and take the MARC train.
For snowfall, last year was an awesome El Nino. This year looks to be a moderate La Nina, I am going with colder than normal but drier too.
For the majority of the mid atlantic region, especially east of I 81 and US 29 in VA, winter storms are one of the following, starts out with snow, then sleet/freezing rain then ends as rain and it is all slushy outside. Or you can have your classic Miller A type of storm or Nor'easter and could dump 6 or more inches of snow over the entire region with more in the mountains. Or it can be your typical rain and 34 degrees which is just plain miserable.
IAD=dulles airport, they average 23" of snow a year
DCA=National airport, they average 17" of snow a year or there abouts

[ngadude]

Bristow in the same category as Warrenton, the Plains, and Middleburg, and apart from Gainesville/Haymarket. That's hilarious!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by ngadude

Bristow in the same category as Warrenton, the Plains, and Middleburg, and apart from Gainesville/Haymarket. That's hilarious!

What's hilarious? Care to enlighten us all? I don't yet envision Bristow to be on the same par of incessant sprawling development as Gainesville/Haymarket have now succumbed to, but it can very well be as such in another 5-10 years.