District Bracing for Winter Weather
Some snow, sleet and freezing rain might be on the way.
The District is preparing for winter weather Friday night and Sunday night, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced this afternoon, deploying snow trucks.
The Hill could get as much as 2 inches of snow before noon Saturday, with the most precipitation before 3 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service says. Saturday evening and most of Sunday are expected to be mild, then snow might fall again Sunday night.
Some school delays and closings are possible Monday morning, Capital Weather Gang forecasters say.
Here’s the message from the mayor’s office:
(Washington, DC) Mayor Muriel Bowser will deploy the District Snow Team, starting at 4 pm Friday, January 23 with a partial deployment of about 100 snow trucks as a precaution to be ready for today’s evening rush hour. The forecast calls for daytime temperatures in the low 40sF with rain beginning in early evening that will turn into a snow/sleet/rain wintry mix later in the evening and continue overnight. At 8 pm today, the Snow Team will reach a full deployment strength of more than 200 snow trucks. The overnight forecast calls for a mix of snow and rain with temperatures in the low 30sF, rising to the high 30sF on Saturday. Precipitation will continue through late Saturday morning.
Sunday is expected to be dry with daytime temperatures in the high 30sF. However, the Snow Team will be deployed Sunday night in advance of another predicted wintry mix of snow/sleet/rain and temperatures in the low 30sF. The forecast calls for precipitation to continue into Monday morning, which will affect the morning commute. While Monday’s high temperature is predicted to be in the high 30sF, overnight temperatures will be below freezing and these temperatures will continue through Tuesday.
Whatever the mode of travel, people are asked to be cautious. Property owners are asked to put abrasives (de-icer, rock salt or non-clumping kitty litter) on their sidewalks before the storms start.
Winter Weather Safety and Preparedness Tips: Motorists are asked to clear all snow from the vehicle first then drive cautiously. Assist elderly or disabled neighbors with clearing their sidewalks. Also, for plow drivers’ safety, “Don’t crowd the plow.” Residents are encouraged to go to snow.dc.gov for updates before, during and after winter storms, and for tips to get one’s home and family prepared for inclement weather. Residents also may sign up at alert.dc.gov to receive emergency alerts and notifications from Alert DC.
The deployment plan is developed and implemented based on predictions made by the weather services; however, predictions may change after the plan has been implemented. Under those circumstances, the District Snow Team will pivot as best as possible to meet the new conditions.
Holiday tree collections are suspended and will resume after the streets are cleared.
The Department of Public Works will make every effort to follow its trash and recycling collections schedule; however, conditions in some neighborhoods due to subfreezing temperatures may prevent collections from being made. Residents should hold onto their trash/recycling until the next collection day if their collections are missed.
Photo via Flickr/meddygarnet
