What to Expect for the Weekend in the Capitol Hill Area
This is normally where we would tell you about events going on in the Capitol Hill area this weekend and warn you about Metro delays. However, the blizzard currently blowing into the area will shut down the Metro for the entire weekend and force most planned events to reschedule.
Mayor Muriel Bowser is urging residents to shelter at home for the duration of the storm. Here’s everything you need to know to weather the storm in the Capitol Hill area:
The Forecast
The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang is expecting snow to continue falling for about 36 hours with an average snowfall of an inch per hour. The storm is expected to be worst late this evening and into Saturday.
Pepco has warned District residents to expect some extended power outages in the area as heavy snow and high winds batter wires. Bowser also pleaded for patience after the storm as cleanup is expected to take several days.
Snow Emergency Plan
Bowser declared a snow emergency for the entire District this morning. Information on closures, emergencies and more is available at snow.dc.gov:
- Metrobus service will stop completely at 5 p.m.
- Metro Rail service will stop completely at 11 p.m.
- The District Department of Transportation has been towing cars off of Snow Emergency Routes and urges drivers to stay off the road if possible
Warming Centers
The District government has designated public buildings in each Ward as warming areas, including the following buildings in the Capitol Hill area. Separate shelters are designated for people experiencing homelessness during the storm and those whose power might go out during the course of the storm:
Capitol Hill area warming shelters for those experiencing homelessness are:
- Trinidad Recreation Center (1310 Childress St. NE)
- King Greenleaf Recreation Center (201 N St. SW)
- Sherwood Recreation Center (640 10th St. NE)
If you see someone who may be experiencing homelessness or need shelter, call the shelter hotline at 1-800-535-7252 or 311 to request transportation to a shelter.
If power goes out in the Capitol Hill area, the Rosedale Recreation Center at 500 19th St. NE will be open as a warming center for those lacking power.
If you see an animal in need of assistance, contact the Washington Humane Society at 202-576-6664.
Phone Numbers to Know
- Pepco – 1-877-737-2662
- DC Water – 202-787-2000 or report a water main break using this online form
- Washington Gas – 703-750-1400 or 800-752-7520
Clearing Snow
Due to a new law signed by Bowser last year, the District is authorized to fine residents and businesses that don’t clear snow from sidewalks adjacent to their property within the first eight hours of daylight after snow stops falling. However, Bowser said on Thursday that the District will not be issuing tickets for unshoveled sidewalks during this storm. Still, city officials urge residents to shovel sidewalks in front of their property for neighbors’ safety.
What Do We Call This Storm
While it’s much more important to be prepared for the storm than to know what to call it, we do need something to call it. The official name of the storm is Winter Storm Jonas. However, that doesn’t have the ring of 2010’s Snowmageddon, and media outlets throughout the area have proposed their own names for the mega-storm:
- The Washington Times and NBC Washington are keeping it simple, using #Blizzard2016
- The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang dubbed the storm “Snowzilla”
- Hill Now sister site Borderstan got more creative with their naming, voting in a reader poll to call the storm “Gorf”
Photo via Flickr/58067032@N06
