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| D.C. region braces for snowstorm as it continues to struggle with 2 inches from last night | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Washington region braced on Thursday for what is expected to be a blockbuster snow storm starting Friday, even as area residents struggled with road problems created by about 2 inches of snow overnight that led to messy, slow commutes. | |
| Some people even spent the night in their vehicles. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) declared a state of emergency Thursday morning and schools throughout the region were delayed or closed. Even President Obama’s motorcade slipped and slid in from Joint Base Andrews in Wednesday night’s snow. | |
| In the District, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) apologized Thursday at a news conference for the city’s response to Wednesday night’s snow and the poor road conditions. | |
| “We are very sorry for the inadequate response,” she said. “We did not provide adequate resources at a time when it could have made a difference with the commute.” | |
| Bowser declared a state of emergency and a snow emergency for the city in advance of the Friday storm. She said schools in the District will be closed Friday. | |
| Arlington officials also apologized for their response to Wednesday’s snow, saying the snowfall and the condition of roads caught them by surprise. | |
| Road crews scrambled to get trucks out throughout Thursday morning to treat roadways that still had icy patches. | |
| [ Virginia declares state of emergency in response to snow, roads still a mess in parts ] | [ Virginia declares state of emergency in response to snow, roads still a mess in parts ] |
| Dozens of fender benders were reported. Virginia State Police said they were on the scene early Thursday morning of 33 accidents around the state, including 24 in Northern Virginia. | Dozens of fender benders were reported. Virginia State Police said they were on the scene early Thursday morning of 33 accidents around the state, including 24 in Northern Virginia. |
| In Maryland, the Capital Beltway remained congested in spots, particularly in Prince George’s County near the Woodrow Wilson bridge where accidents impeded traffic and tractor trailers tried all night to get up slight inclines in the roadway. | In Maryland, the Capital Beltway remained congested in spots, particularly in Prince George’s County near the Woodrow Wilson bridge where accidents impeded traffic and tractor trailers tried all night to get up slight inclines in the roadway. |
| “Oh my God,” said a sergeant at the College Park barracks of the Maryland State Police, in response to how conditions were on the roadways. The unit was reporting at least six calls an hour for accidents, with another four or five callers on hold. | “Oh my God,” said a sergeant at the College Park barracks of the Maryland State Police, in response to how conditions were on the roadways. The unit was reporting at least six calls an hour for accidents, with another four or five callers on hold. |
| “And that’s the ones we know about,” the sergeant said. Most of the accidents were fender benders. A pedestrian in Beltsville was struck in the early morning hours and died after he was hit by a pickup with a snow plow on it. | “And that’s the ones we know about,” the sergeant said. Most of the accidents were fender benders. A pedestrian in Beltsville was struck in the early morning hours and died after he was hit by a pickup with a snow plow on it. |
| In Montgomery County, officials lifted a snow emergency warning at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. | |
| Plenty of commuters and highway officials were Monday morning quarterbacking about Wednesday’s snowfall and how well prepared — or not prepared — agencies were. | |
| The Maryland State Highway Administration said it was the “unfortunate timing,” of a clipper system that arrived earlier than expected that stalled not only commuters but road crews as well. | |
| SHA spokesman Charlie Gischlar said the agency was prepared and had planned to dispatch salt-loaded trucks before the rush hour began to treat roadways. But as the snow started to fall, the roads snarled and created a “cascading domino effect,” that locked trucks in the snail’s pace procession on state roads, he said. | |
| “It’s not like we missed it,” Gischlar said. “The key piece was timing.” | |
| Even with the mess on roadways Thursday morning, forecasters and road crews were looking ahead to what is expected to be one of the region’s biggest snow storms in years. The Capital Weather Gang is currently expecting the region to get at least 12 inches of snow starting Friday and into Saturday. | Even with the mess on roadways Thursday morning, forecasters and road crews were looking ahead to what is expected to be one of the region’s biggest snow storms in years. The Capital Weather Gang is currently expecting the region to get at least 12 inches of snow starting Friday and into Saturday. |
| [ Models continue to show massive snowstorm starting midday Friday ] | [ Models continue to show massive snowstorm starting midday Friday ] |
| “They’ll do what they can to clear things up today and then we all really have to start focusing on tomorrow,” said Taran Hutchinson, a spokesman for MATOC — the Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coordination. “This is going to be a pretty challenging event.” | “They’ll do what they can to clear things up today and then we all really have to start focusing on tomorrow,” said Taran Hutchinson, a spokesman for MATOC — the Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coordination. “This is going to be a pretty challenging event.” |
| If snow totals hit what forecasters predict, Hutchinson said, “the recovery is going to last until the early part of next week.” | If snow totals hit what forecasters predict, Hutchinson said, “the recovery is going to last until the early part of next week.” |
| On Thursday morning, commuters shared tales of their Wednesday night commutes on social media of what are usually 15- to 30-minute drives turning into four hours or more. | On Thursday morning, commuters shared tales of their Wednesday night commutes on social media of what are usually 15- to 30-minute drives turning into four hours or more. |
| One driver said her six-mile commute from K Street in downtown Washington to Arlington took over two hours as cars slipped on the roadways. Another driver reported a normally 20-minute drive from Edgewater to West Hyattsville took an hour and a half. Some drivers simply abandoned their cars on side roads. | One driver said her six-mile commute from K Street in downtown Washington to Arlington took over two hours as cars slipped on the roadways. Another driver reported a normally 20-minute drive from Edgewater to West Hyattsville took an hour and a half. Some drivers simply abandoned their cars on side roads. |
| Allison Redisch of Northwest Washington said she and roughly two dozen other passengers spent seven and a half hours stuck on a Metro bus Wednesday night as it crept along the Beltway and side roads trying to get from Bethesda to Silver Spring. | |
| “I am not even exaggerating,” she said in a message on Facebook. “That was awful.” | |
| She retold the commute Thursday morning, saying a few people had to get off and relieve themselves on the side of the road, then get back on the bus. She ate a cookie and some corn muffins she had in her bag. | |
| [ An inch of snow, icy roads, unleash 9 hours of traffic chaos across D.C. region ] | [ An inch of snow, icy roads, unleash 9 hours of traffic chaos across D.C. region ] |
| Metro and local bus services said their normal routes were altered or delayed because of road conditions. Only as the snow melted did some traffic jams ease. | Metro and local bus services said their normal routes were altered or delayed because of road conditions. Only as the snow melted did some traffic jams ease. |
| As commuters headed back out or just got home Thursday morning, many wondered: Why was there still such a morning mess after only an inch of snow? | |
| It hit during evening rush hour when road temperatures were already cold. In addition, many agencies were so focused on getting ready for Friday’s expected big storm that not as many trucks were out and ready to go. | It hit during evening rush hour when road temperatures were already cold. In addition, many agencies were so focused on getting ready for Friday’s expected big storm that not as many trucks were out and ready to go. |
| “The thin layer of packed snow, combined with overnight freezing temperatures made it tough,” Hutchinson said. | “The thin layer of packed snow, combined with overnight freezing temperatures made it tough,” Hutchinson said. |
| “A lot of us were looking at the big event of what’s coming Friday afternoon and this also put down a bit more snow [Wednesday night] than we expected,” he said. “We didn’t think it was going to have as much impact as it has had. We were thinking it was going to be a dusting.” | “A lot of us were looking at the big event of what’s coming Friday afternoon and this also put down a bit more snow [Wednesday night] than we expected,” he said. “We didn’t think it was going to have as much impact as it has had. We were thinking it was going to be a dusting.” |
| “But it came down, gets packed down and re-freezes and then there’s a thin layer of ice on an already extremely cold temperatures.” | “But it came down, gets packed down and re-freezes and then there’s a thin layer of ice on an already extremely cold temperatures.” |
| One person, named Kimberly Cook, posted on Twitter at 2 a.m. that her husband had been traveling from Virginia to Maryland and was stuck in traffic for over seven hours along the Woodrow Wilson bridge. | One person, named Kimberly Cook, posted on Twitter at 2 a.m. that her husband had been traveling from Virginia to Maryland and was stuck in traffic for over seven hours along the Woodrow Wilson bridge. |
| As usual, Washingtonians had done their runs on grocery stores, with photos online showing empty shelves for bread as the area hunkered down. | As usual, Washingtonians had done their runs on grocery stores, with photos online showing empty shelves for bread as the area hunkered down. |
| Many commuters still fuming from their long and in some cases overnight drives wanted to know why more wasn’t done to pre-treat roads in the region. | Many commuters still fuming from their long and in some cases overnight drives wanted to know why more wasn’t done to pre-treat roads in the region. |
| Hutchinson of MATOC said it is tough to decide in extremely cold temperatures when to put down salt substance treatments because there is a high chance the liquid could refreeze on roads, creating more problems. | Hutchinson of MATOC said it is tough to decide in extremely cold temperatures when to put down salt substance treatments because there is a high chance the liquid could refreeze on roads, creating more problems. |
| “It’s a balancing act,” he said. | “It’s a balancing act,” he said. |
| In Maryland, Gischlar of the state highway administration said crews tried to call in reinforcements Wednesday as road conditions worsened but at that point, the salt would have made little improvement to the traffic flow. | |
| He said the pavement was already cold from a week of near-freezing temperatures that could have rendered the salt brine ineffective. The solution is about 27 percent salt and the rest is water, Gischlar said. | |
| The state highway administration insisted they prepare for all storms -- large and small-- the same way. But they did not have enough time to organize all their contractors and trucks earlier in the day on Wednesday to pre-treat roadways before the rush. | |
| Gischlar said crews have enough residual salt to pre-treat the pavement before the big one arrives tomorrow. | |
| Aaron Davis, Arelis Hernandez, Michael Laris, Luz Lazo, Peter Hermann and Julie Zauzmer contributed to this report. |