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| Winter doesn’t take a holiday as snow, sleet and freezing rain pelt D.C. region | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A storm stretching hundreds of miles across the Southeast blanketed the Washington region with snowfall Monday morning before giving way to sleet and freezing rain by late afternoon. | A storm stretching hundreds of miles across the Southeast blanketed the Washington region with snowfall Monday morning before giving way to sleet and freezing rain by late afternoon. |
| Snowfall totals reached between three and five inches in most places, according to the Capital Weather Gang, which predicted that temperatures would steadily rise overnight as bands of precipitation continued to wallop the area. | Snowfall totals reached between three and five inches in most places, according to the Capital Weather Gang, which predicted that temperatures would steadily rise overnight as bands of precipitation continued to wallop the area. |
| [Snow piling up in D.C. region] | [Snow piling up in D.C. region] |
| Many of the region’s workers and their children avoided what might have been a pair of perilous commutes thanks to President’s Day, though whether governments, businesses and schools would open on Tuesday remained uncertain as of late Monday afternoon. | Many of the region’s workers and their children avoided what might have been a pair of perilous commutes thanks to President’s Day, though whether governments, businesses and schools would open on Tuesday remained uncertain as of late Monday afternoon. |
| Still, not everyone got to stay home for the holiday. | Still, not everyone got to stay home for the holiday. |
| “I don’t work for the government,” said a bundled-up Pari Farmani, as she listened to Adele on her iPhone and waited for a southbound train in Petworth Monday morning. “So no President’s Day off for me.” | “I don’t work for the government,” said a bundled-up Pari Farmani, as she listened to Adele on her iPhone and waited for a southbound train in Petworth Monday morning. “So no President’s Day off for me.” |
| Farmani’s commute to her job at the Institute for Inclusive Security isn’t difficult as long as Metro keeps running, but the same can’t be said for most of her co-workers who drive to the downtown office. | Farmani’s commute to her job at the Institute for Inclusive Security isn’t difficult as long as Metro keeps running, but the same can’t be said for most of her co-workers who drive to the downtown office. |
| “The roads look like they’ve barely been touched,” she said. | “The roads look like they’ve barely been touched,” she said. |
| Rachel Rivas opted to take an hour-long train ride to a job in Bethesda rather than the usual 30-minute drive from her home in Washington. | Rachel Rivas opted to take an hour-long train ride to a job in Bethesda rather than the usual 30-minute drive from her home in Washington. |
| Wearing sweat pants tucked into her L.L. Bean boots, the Austin native has lived in the District for just six months — long enough to know how slick the roads can get. | Wearing sweat pants tucked into her L.L. Bean boots, the Austin native has lived in the District for just six months — long enough to know how slick the roads can get. |
| “I haven’t driven here in the snow,” she said, “but I know from Ubers I’ve taken, it’s bad.” | “I haven’t driven here in the snow,” she said, “but I know from Ubers I’ve taken, it’s bad.” |
| On Monday morning, Virginia officials described road conditions in the Commonwealth as “treacherous” and asked that people delay unnecessary travel until the weather improves. | On Monday morning, Virginia officials described road conditions in the Commonwealth as “treacherous” and asked that people delay unnecessary travel until the weather improves. |
| Between midnight and 2 p.m., state police responded to 347 disabled vehicles and 538 crashes, including one in which a driver was killed after his SUV crossed the centerline and collided with a snowplow. | Between midnight and 2 p.m., state police responded to 347 disabled vehicles and 538 crashes, including one in which a driver was killed after his SUV crossed the centerline and collided with a snowplow. |
| In another incident, a cattle-packed tractor-trailer ran off Interstate 81 and overturned. Six of the 33 bovine were killed, according to an email from police. Another six escaped the truck but were “gently rounded up by troopers.” | In another incident, a cattle-packed tractor-trailer ran off Interstate 81 and overturned. Six of the 33 bovine were killed, according to an email from police. Another six escaped the truck but were “gently rounded up by troopers.” |
| Both Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford canceled their public appearances for the day and worked from their statehouse offices in Annapolis. | Both Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford canceled their public appearances for the day and worked from their statehouse offices in Annapolis. |
| In D.C., all Smithsonian museums were scheduled to close at 3 p.m. | In D.C., all Smithsonian museums were scheduled to close at 3 p.m. |
| Almost a third of flights coming in and out of Reagan and Baltimore-Washington airports were cancelled by mid-afternoon, according to FlightAware.com. Fewer trips were disrupted at Dulles International, where only 12 percent of flights were called off. | Almost a third of flights coming in and out of Reagan and Baltimore-Washington airports were cancelled by mid-afternoon, according to FlightAware.com. Fewer trips were disrupted at Dulles International, where only 12 percent of flights were called off. |
| Operations generally proceeded as normal while crews cleared out snow, but the freezing rain presents more significant troubles, said Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesman Chris Paolino. | Operations generally proceeded as normal while crews cleared out snow, but the freezing rain presents more significant troubles, said Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesman Chris Paolino. |
| “Ice is usually more challenging than snow because snow you can go out and push,” Paolino said. “Ice you have to treat and clear a little more continuously.” | “Ice is usually more challenging than snow because snow you can go out and push,” Paolino said. “Ice you have to treat and clear a little more continuously.” |
| A Metro spokeswoman said the weather hadn’t significantly disrupted rail service, which can operate normally after as much as six inches of snow. Only a limited number of bus routes ran during the day, and WMATA warned that service could be suspended if road conditions deteriorated. | A Metro spokeswoman said the weather hadn’t significantly disrupted rail service, which can operate normally after as much as six inches of snow. Only a limited number of bus routes ran during the day, and WMATA warned that service could be suspended if road conditions deteriorated. |
| Around noon, after waiting for 20 minutes in the thickening swirl, 75-year-old Louis Gooch pressed the button on the bus shelter at 13th and K streets in Northwest D.C. The next city bus, a mechanical voice intoned, would arrive in another 24 minutes; the one after that in 56. | Around noon, after waiting for 20 minutes in the thickening swirl, 75-year-old Louis Gooch pressed the button on the bus shelter at 13th and K streets in Northwest D.C. The next city bus, a mechanical voice intoned, would arrive in another 24 minutes; the one after that in 56. |
| Two other men grumbled and walked away. Gooch raised an arm halfheartedly as a red bus whooshed through the slush and stopped at the next block. He shook his head. “I should have caught that Circulator.” | Two other men grumbled and walked away. Gooch raised an arm halfheartedly as a red bus whooshed through the slush and stopped at the next block. He shook his head. “I should have caught that Circulator.” |
| When Gooch, a retired courier, left his home Monday morning, he didn’t expect to be out long. | When Gooch, a retired courier, left his home Monday morning, he didn’t expect to be out long. |
| “I had to pick up a prescription for my wife. She lives in Chinatown,” he said. “We’re separated. If you don’t get along, you don’t live together. It doesn’t mean you don’t stay friends.” | “I had to pick up a prescription for my wife. She lives in Chinatown,” he said. “We’re separated. If you don’t get along, you don’t live together. It doesn’t mean you don’t stay friends.” |
| There are friends and then there are friends who wait at blustery bus stops for 44 minutes. Finally, something appeared down the block. “I think that’s another Circulator,” he said, and hurried across the street to catch it. | There are friends and then there are friends who wait at blustery bus stops for 44 minutes. Finally, something appeared down the block. “I think that’s another Circulator,” he said, and hurried across the street to catch it. |
| Emilio Chavarria was also among those who ventured into the cold. | Emilio Chavarria was also among those who ventured into the cold. |
| Before leaving home at 6:30 Monday morning, he put on three pairs of pants, in case he had to work outside. Though the snow had waned, his Honda Civic briefly got stuck during his commute from Arlington to the concrete company in downtown D.C. where he works as a safety representative. | Before leaving home at 6:30 Monday morning, he put on three pairs of pants, in case he had to work outside. Though the snow had waned, his Honda Civic briefly got stuck during his commute from Arlington to the concrete company in downtown D.C. where he works as a safety representative. |
| Normally, he would have been sent to a site, but because of the snow, outside jobs were cancelled. Chavarria, 27, worked at the office until midday, when employees were sent home. | Normally, he would have been sent to a site, but because of the snow, outside jobs were cancelled. Chavarria, 27, worked at the office until midday, when employees were sent home. |
| Ducking into a nook in a building on L Street, he and a colleague, Leyder Reza, smoked cigarettes and talked about concrete. | Ducking into a nook in a building on L Street, he and a colleague, Leyder Reza, smoked cigarettes and talked about concrete. |
| When pouring the stuff, the problem isn’t the cold — it’s the wet. “The snow mixes in with the concrete and makes it harder to set,” said Reza, 28, of Temple Hills, Md. | When pouring the stuff, the problem isn’t the cold — it’s the wet. “The snow mixes in with the concrete and makes it harder to set,” said Reza, 28, of Temple Hills, Md. |
| They finished their cigarettes and Reza headed toward his truck. Chavarria decided to go home and rest for the long week ahead, but when he arrived, his sidewalk was smothered in white powder. | They finished their cigarettes and Reza headed toward his truck. Chavarria decided to go home and rest for the long week ahead, but when he arrived, his sidewalk was smothered in white powder. |
| So, he kept his three pairs of pants on and grabbed a shovel. | So, he kept his three pairs of pants on and grabbed a shovel. |
| Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report. | Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report. |