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Snow begins to fall in D.C. and suburbs; is expected to intensify in coming hours Nation’s capital shuts down as history-making storm moves in
(35 minutes later)
An intensifying snowfall had begun sticking to the District’s streets by 2:30 p.m. Friday as the region braced for a potentially historic winter storm that is expected to drop 20 to 30 inches of powder over the weekend. Meanwhile, utility companies, government officials and police agencies have warned residents to gather supplies, stay off the roads and expect extended power outages that precede days of cleanup. The Washington region shut down Friday as a winter storm of history-making magnitude that may paralyze the area for days swept in with the prospect it would last for 36 hours and leave more than two feet of snow in some places.
Despite those words of caution, D.C.’s streets remained busy early this afternoon — even as forecasters predicted that the snow would soon be falling at a rate of more than an inch every hour. As night fell, most streets were deserted, restaurants were dark, and downtown streets normally busy with rush-hour traffic were eerily quiet as they filled with snow that might not be plowed until Sunday. A few convenience stores, some gas stations and the occasional bar were all that seemed open in a region that is home to 6 million people.
The storm — named Jonas by the Weather Channel and Snowzilla by the Capital Weather Gang — will include high winds and snow drifts that last through Sunday morning. Hundreds of plows and salt trucks already were out on major roads in Maryland and Virginia as what may have been the last stragglers headed for home at a cautious crawl. But with the snow expected to keep falling as fast as three inches an hour, it seemed a matter of time before even those big arteries would be shut down.
By late morning, the region’s schools, malls and child-care centers were already shuttering. Most of the city’s attractions, including the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo, announced closures that would last through the weekend, and the National Park Service said the Mall would be closed to the public at noon. With temperatures just below freezing, the snow was heavy with moisture, and the forecast of gale force winds posed a threat to trees and power lines, raising fears that snow-bound residents would be left in the dark and without heat.
[Live blog: Latest updates on storm and its impact] Pepco,which provides power to the District and much of the Maryland suburbs, warned customers they may face multi-day outages. Dominion Virginia Power, which serves Northern Virginia, had similar fears.
The federal government was sending its workers home by midday, but many had already taken the day off or chosen to work from home. Most of region’s roadways looked more like they do on a weekend day than a Friday, with no significant hiccups on major highways, including the Capital Beltway and Interstate 66. This was a relief two days after a two-inch snowfall during the afternoon rush hour created epic commutes. “We began advising our customers earlier this week to prepare for a multi-day outage event — it’s always best to prepare for the worst,” said Dominion spokesman David Botkins. “With that said, we will be swarming the affected areas with crews to get the lights and heat back on as quickly and safely as possible.”
Area officials tried to assure residents that they were better prepared for the big storm after Wednesday’s dusting debacle. Still, D.C. officials warned that while they are well staffed with emergency personnel on hand, there may be delays in response times because of the heavy snowfall. The snow’s arrival found Washington and its suburbs as prepared as they could be after days of warnings that this was a massive storm. Despite the hyperbole used before for many storms, this one genuinely looked like it would be the storm of the young century for the region — and perhaps one that would be remembered for generations. The final forecast from the Post’s Capital Weather Gang called for 16 to 30 inches.
“We have a forecast that we haven’t had in 90 years,” D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said.
[ The latest from Capital Weather Gang as the blizzard bears down ][ The latest from Capital Weather Gang as the blizzard bears down ]
Bowser called the coming storm a “life-threatening” event at a news conference Friday morning and warned residents to hunker down by 3 p.m., stay in place and stay off the roads. They said residents should have 72 hours’ worth of supplies. The snow fell with determined fury from the outset, readily taking hold on pavement and parked cars that had been in near or below freezing temperatures all week.
“We see this as a major storm,” Bowser said. “It has life-and-death implications and all the residents of the District of Columbia should treat it that way.” Government officials and police agencies have warned residents to gather supplies and stay off the roads.
Bowser and the District’s top emergency official said that 36 hours of “wet and heavy” snow is likely to bring down trees and power lines. Winds could reach 50 mph, and the District may at times get 3 inches of snow per hour. By 5 p.m., conditions began to deteriorate rapidly, and D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser urged stragglers to get off the streets. She said the District National Guard had reported for duty and would be deployed to transport personnel around the city as needed.
City officials warned residents that the city will be dealing with cleanup throughout the upcoming week and said residents should not expect to see snow plows before Sunday. “We have a forecast that we haven’t had in 90 years,” Bowser (D) said. “It has life-and-death implications, and all the residents of the District of Columbia should treat it that way.”
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan echoed that call for patience, saying it would take time for crews to clear the snow. Virtually all institutions and attractions in and around the capital region — including the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo — said they would be closed through the weekend. Metro said it did not plan to resume bus and rail service until Monday.
Though the region’s three major airports said they would remain open, airlines already had canceled hundreds of flights in and out of them. Amtrak said it hoped to operate on a reduced schedule in the Northeast Corridor but encouraged would-be passengers to check before heading to the train station.
District officials said they were well staffed with emergency personnel on hand but cautioned that responses might be delayed.
City officials warned residents that the city will be dealing with cleanup throughout the coming week and said residents should not expect to see snow plows before Sunday.
[What does 2 feet of snow look like?]
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) echoed that call for patience, saying it would take time for crews to clear the snow.
“We’re not magicians,” he said. “We can’t make it disappear.”“We’re not magicians,” he said. “We can’t make it disappear.”
The District could see “multi-day” outages, Pepco officials cautioned Friday in advance of what will almost certainly be the utility’s most formidable test in years. The District could see “multi-day” outages, Pepco officials cautioned in advance of what will almost certainly be the utility’s most formidable test in years.
Company officials said it was too early to predict how the power lines would stand up to the storm but added that areas with above-ground lines and tree cover were the most vulnerable. Those areas include Northwest, upper Northeast and Southeast Washington.Company officials said it was too early to predict how the power lines would stand up to the storm but added that areas with above-ground lines and tree cover were the most vulnerable. Those areas include Northwest, upper Northeast and Southeast Washington.
Pepco has faced intense criticism for its relative slowness restoring power after past events, such as Snowmaggedon in 2010, when 98,000 customers lost electricity.Pepco has faced intense criticism for its relative slowness restoring power after past events, such as Snowmaggedon in 2010, when 98,000 customers lost electricity.
Since then, company officials said, they have invested millions in hardening their infrastructure and training for emergencies. Since then, company officials said, they have invested millions of dollars hardening their infrastructure and training for emergencies.
Still, restoring power in a storm of this ferocity is likely to be “a bit of a slog,” said Pepco’s vice president of asset management, Michael Maxwell. “We want to communicate to our customers that we are prepared,” said Pepco President Donna Cooper, a tacit recognition of the fact her utility has faced scathing criticism for its failings in handling past winter storms.
The utility has 150 internal linemen, 200 contractors, and 200 tree crews at the ready, he said. Another 450 people from other utilities stretching from New England to South Carolina have come to the area to help — a result of mutual-aid agreements.
Meanwhile, both the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards postponed games they were scheduled to play Friday and Saturday, respectively. City leaders had pleaded with team officials to reschedule.
Most area residents seemed to heed the warnings, but some people were still making their way downtown. A few Metro trains were packed Friday morning with a large crowd expected to attend the annual March for Life at noon near the Washington Monument.
[Milk, bread and 7 boxes of condoms: How D.C. prepares for storms][Milk, bread and 7 boxes of condoms: How D.C. prepares for storms]
The marchers and remaining commuters, however, need to plan on getting back out of downtown early: Metro announced plans Thursday afternoon to shut down its rail and bus services early in anticipation of the storm — a move it hasn’t made in its 40 year history. But in a statement Friday, Pepco said, “Because icy roads hamper restoration efforts, Pepco is prepared for the possibility of widespread outages that could take days to restore.”
Metro’s bus service will stop at 5 p.m., and its rail lines will shut down at 11 p.m. — four hours earlier than normal for a Friday night. The system isn’t expected to return to normal service until Monday. The weekend shutdown will make it difficult for those who depend on the system to get to jobs in the area. The utility said it has 150 internal linemen, 200 contractors and 200 tree crews at the ready. Another 450 people from other utilities stretching from New England to South Carolina have come to the area to help — a result of mutual-aid agreements.
Cabs and car services were expected to have additional surcharges during the storm. Meanwhile, both the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards postponed games they were scheduled to play Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Area airports were open and busy Friday morning, but American Airlines has canceled all Saturday flights into and out of D.C. and Philadelphia in anticipation of the storm that is expected to hit the East Coast. Area airports were crowded as many travelers tried to move their flights earlier.
At Reagan National Airport, few flights on the overhead monitors appeared canceled or delayed, likely because the airlines have been quick to rebook passengers and liberal in offering change fee waivers, an airport spokeswoman said.
Decisions about the last flight in and out of the airport are left up to the airlines, but the final takeoff will probably be one from American Airlines, said airport spokeswoman Kimberly Gibbs.
Although the runways will close, she said, the airport is expected to remain open for people who are stuck there.
Pepco warned customers of the possibility of “extensive power outages,” but assured them that it was prepared, with more than 500 linemen, contractors and tree crews at the ready.
“Because icy roads hamper restoration efforts, Pepco is prepared for the possibility of widespread outages that could take days to restore,” the utility said in a statement on Friday. It went on to say that with downed trees and impassable roads, “our restoration efforts could take multiple days.”
[Cancellation blues: ‘It’s the event of the year. Or it was supposed to be.’][Cancellation blues: ‘It’s the event of the year. Or it was supposed to be.’]
On the roads Friday morning, crews in Maryland, Virginia and the District had started to treat the highways. At the Tractor Supply Co. in Marshall, Va., a steady stream of ruddy-faced farmers and country folk in this rural area prepared for the impending storm.
Highway officials in Virginia told residents the state had 4,000 trucks out treating roads and planned to work long shifts, but they warned that it could take 48 hours after the snowfall stops before roads are cleared. Translation: Even Monday morning’s commute could be a mess. Parts of Loudoun County are expected to be hardest hit, with high levels of snowfall. The fastest-selling items appeared to be insulated Carhart coats, saw shavings to keep critters warm in the blizzard, and bags of feed to keep them from going hungry when the snow covers pastures.
On social media, photos were being posted of the white stuff already falling in some western and southern parts of Virginia. Virginia State Police posted an image of Interstate 81 in Wythe County, about 300 miles southwest of D.C., with snow covering the lanes. Corinne N. Geller, a spokeswoman for the department, said there is already five to six inches of snow on the ground, but said the highway was mostly empty. In a clear display of the area’s fantastic wealth and humble, blue-collar socioeconomic strata, the parking lot was packed with an odd mix of 4X4 pickups sitting next to BMWs and Mercedes-Benz station wagons.
“That means folks are heeding the warnings and staying safe by staying home,” she said in an email. Inside, the store had sold out of ice melt by noon, but employees helpfully suggested bags of stock salt, the supplement for grazing animals filled with trace minerals such as manganese, iodine and copper.
Of course, some area residents were doing the one last run to the grocery store for the essentials. At the Whole Foods in Tenleytown, there were still plenty of options for wine but few bananas — a popular item that lasts even during power outages. The salt bag is recommended for beef and dairy cattle, goats, horses and, apparently, driveways made slippery by the freezing temperatures.
City officials also warned residents to be wary of alternative heating sources: Keep generators, the sources of potentially dangerous fumes, outdoors; use flashlights instead of candles; and keep space heaters away from things that can catch fire. Nearby, Fauquier residents appeared calm before the storm as black angus cattle in a roadside rolling field stood chewing cud, a thin coat of snowflakes already covering their backs.
Geldart and Bowser urged residents to stay indoors throughout Friday and Saturday. To the Dupont Circle residents hoping for a snowball fight? “Sunday is a great day,” Geldart said. All the pre-storm hysteria seemed to have run its course as the snow began to fall Friday afternoon, and savvy shoppers or procrastinators who had waited until the last minute made their way to the stores. At least at some stores, those who waited were rewarded with zero wait times for checkout, fully restocked shelves and the pleasant sensation of having outsmarted the masses.
Even with so many residents and area officials focused on the coming snowstorm, many were already thinking of how to get around next week. Around 3 p.m. Friday, at Rodman’s on Wisconsin Avenue NW in the District, four cashiers were standing at their stations, sharing bags of Doritos and handling a thin stream of customers who arrived expecting to see hordes of desperate shoppers. Instead, they found empty aisles and decently well-stocked shelves. Even the holy winter trinity of milk, bread and toilet paper were available.
Olivia Adler of Northwest Washington was headed to New York City this weekend for her granddaughter’s 2nd birthday and said she was anxious about getting back Sunday. To be sure, she bought another ticket for Monday. Similarly, sparse crowds were on hand at the Safeway a few blocks away.
“I don’t know what I’ll do,” she said of getting back to her home with no Metro trains or buses running and leaving her house-sitter and cats behind in D.C. as she waited for an Amtrak train at Union Station on Friday. “Maybe I will have to walk the five miles home.” And at Johnson’s Flower and Garden Center in Tenleytown, there was plenty of rock salt — an entire pallet of the snow-melting stuff — but only a handful of customers in a store that had been jammed with shoppers through most of the week.
Ashley Halsey III, Abigail Hauslohner, Luz Lazo and Michael E. Ruane contributed to this report. In Montgomery County, the very last book checked out of the Wheaton Library before the doors were locked, the lights went out and the librarians all went home to await the coming storm, was “The Stranger on the Train,” a thriller by Abbie Taylor.
“This is a guilty pleasure,” said Barry Fargo, an elementary school teacher who at noon Friday checked out that book along with others by Jhumpa Lahiri, Donna Tartt and Julia Pierpoint.
“When it’s snowy outside, there’s nothing like being tucked on the couch with a good book,” said Fargo, 34, of Wheaton, Md.
In tiny Clifton, Va., the cozy Main Street Pub was packed at mid-afternoon Friday with regular customers eager to enjoy themselves ahead of the storm.
“We always come for lunch on Saturdays, so we wanted to get here sooner and relax,” said Andy Melton, 59, a defense contractor. “This is always a comfortable place, and the snow makes it feel more intimate.”
Carlos Coronado, 46, a construction contractor munching on his favorite breaded pickles, said he was totally prepared for what’s to come. “I’ve got a generator and a snow blower. I’m ready,” he said.
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