Three People Injured in Car Crash Near Nationals Park — One man was critically injured and two others were hurt in a car crash about 4:30 p.m. Sunday on South Capitol Street near Nationals Park. The crash may have been the result of a police chase. [WTOP]

Hill East Renovation Company Offers 20-30 Garden Plots for Neighbors — Dila Construction is offering Hill East residents the chance to reserve garden plots outside the renovation company’s new showroom at 1200 Potomac Avenue SE. [Hill Rag]

Possible Snow Tonight Set to Usher In Winter’s Coldest Week — Overnight snow tonight could leave up to two inches of snow in the Capitol Hill area, bringing with it the coldest temperatures of the winter for the next week. [Washington Post]

Federal Parks on Capitol Hill Remain Unshoveled — Capitol Hill residents and Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen called on the National Park Service to shovel sidewalks in and around parks owned by the federal agency around Capitol Hill, many of which remain covered in snow. [Hill Rag]

All Metrobus Routes Running, Trash Pickup to Resume — The Capitol Hill area is slowly returning to normal after last weekend’s blizzard. Metro announced that all bus lines will run today, though some will experience detours. Trash collection will also resume. Those who usually have Thursday or Friday trash/recycling collection should leave cans out over the weekend, as the District Department of Public Works will be attempting to make all collections. On Monday, normally scheduled trash and recycling collection resumes. [Washington Post, D.C. DPW]

Photos: Snow Piles Up at RFK Parking Lot — WTOP has pictures from RFK Stadium’s parking lot 7, where snow plows and trucks are dumping snow from around the district, with snow reaching up to 20 feet high in some areas. [WTOP]

Developer Submits Plans for Mixed-Use Buildings Near Stadium-Armory Metro Station — Donatelli Development last week submitted its plans to redevelop a parking lot near the Stadium-Armory Metro station into two mixed-use buildings. [Washington Business Journal]

Hill East Resident Documents Years of Change on His Block — Hill East resident John Cochran shared photos he’s taken over the past five years which document recent changes to the area around 15th Street SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE. [The Hill Is Home]

Photo via Twitter/ CharlesAllenW6

With schools and government offices open today for the first time this week, the battle over savesies – blocking or reserving a street parking space that you dug out – is starting to get uglier in the Capitol Hill area.

Hill resident Nathan Bergman stoked the flames of the age-old savesies debate with a 96-word note he left on a spot in front of his home. In the note, Bergman explained the work he put in to clear the space and vowed to bury any space-stealers with the snow that he removed.

Responses to Bergman’s note were varied. Some pointed to Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Cathy Lanier’s comments that saving parking spaces is not allowed in the District. However, judging by the amount of lawn chairs and empty trash cans parked around the Capitol Hill area, a lot of people disagree with the law.

ANC 6B commissioner Denise Krepp shared a photo this morning of another sign in Hill East asking people not to park in a cleared spot. The sign was posted on a target practice sheet in a possible attempt to intimidate potential parkers. Krepp removed the sign and implored residents to dig out peacefully.

#hilleast neighbors shouldn't use target practice sheets to intimidate. Sign now in trash. #DigOutDC peacefully pic.twitter.com/DpAX86MaFS

— Denise Rucker Krepp (@kdrkrepp) January 27, 2016

The debate isn’t only playing out on Capitol Hill streets – Washington City Paper ran a pro-savesies story today, arguing that District residents should respect “dibs.” The Washington Post took a more neutral approach, talking to residents whose dibs weren’t honored and noting that elsewhere on the East Coast, the battle over parking often gets much nastier than it is here.

Drivers aren’t the only people trying to return to normalcy as the snow melts, though. Capital Bikeshare crews have been working to clear stations around the Capitol Hill area and the rest of the District.

Who says you can't shovel with attitude? Another station cleared at 3rd & H NE, in style. pic.twitter.com/yOu8BeDuHf

— Capital Bikeshare (@bikeshare) January 27, 2016

DC Water is also attempting to make conditions better, or at least drier, for pedestrians by urging residents to clear catch basins and drains along streets so that melting snow and slush doesn’t pool along sidewalks.

Help us clear catch basins and rid yourself of slushy, wet feet. https://t.co/GNqKNg7EHj

— DC Water (@dcwater) January 27, 2016

However, there are still some areas around the Hill that haven’t been cleared at all. This morning, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen tweeted that many parks on Capitol Hill are federal lands owned by the National Park Service. Allen said he has urged NPS to clear the parks multiple times with no response and is now asking the DC volunteer snow team if it can help.

@chettpritchett @DCDPR Since @NatlParkService not doing their job, I'll ask DC's snow team to see if they can help out.

— Charles Allen (@CharlesAllenW6) January 27, 2016

 

Schools, Government Offices Reopen Today, But Commute May Not Be Easy — The federal government and D.C. schools are reopening today, but roads still aren’t ready for a full-scale rush hour and not all buses are running. [Washington Post]

Capitol Hill Man Threatens to Bury Cars Parked in Spot He Cleared in Widely Shared Sign — Nathan Bergman of Capitol Hill spent five hours digging out his car after the weekend blizzard, and posted a sign promising to re-bury any car that took the spot while he was gone. The sign was widely shared on social media. [Washington Times]

Developer Struggles to Find Cafe Tenant in Hill East — The owner of a two-story rowhouse at 1247 E St. SE says he has struggled to find a coffee shop or cafe to occupy the space but hopes that will change as more residential projects are built in the area. [Washington Business Journal]

Three Capitol Hill Area Bars Among Districts Best Dives — The Pug (1234 H St. NE), Trusty’s Full-Serve Bar (1420 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) and Tune Inn (331 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) all made Thrillist’s list of the best dive bars in D.C. [Thrillist]

Capitol Hill area residents can start parking their cars along snow emergency routes tomorrow evening, Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a press conference this morning.

The snow emergency that was initiated on Friday morning is set to end at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Bowser said.

Those who parked along snow emergency routes during the snow emergency and were towed can pick up their cars, but the Department of Public Works warns that they might have to dig them out of the impound lot.

If you're going to DC impound lot to recover your car that was towed, bring a shovel. @DCDPW advises you'll have to dig your car out.

— Mark Segraves (@SegravesNBC4) January 26, 2016

Bowser also announced that DC Public Schools have been cleared and will be ready for classes to start tomorrow.

The District government will also begin issuing fines to businesses that have not cleared sidewalks in front of their properties. A new law this year allows the Department of Public Works to fine homeowners and business owners who do not remove snow and ice from sidewalks adjacent to their property.

However, Bowser said that given the severity of the recent storm, fines will not be issued to homeowners or residential properties.

D.C. Public Schools and government offices will all be open tomorrow. The D.C. Public Charter School Board is updating the status of charter schools throughout the District online.

Though the District government will be open, trash collection will still be on hold until Thursday at the earliest. DPW announced that it will attempt to reach every regular route with pickup scheduled for Thursday or Friday. Regular trash collection service will resume on Monday.

Photo via Twitter/ Mayor Muriel Bowser

Metro Opens On Most Lines With Regular Fares in Effect — Metrorail stations opened at 5 a.m. this morning with service on all lines except the Silver Line and the Orange Line between Vienna and Ballston. Trains will run every 12 minutes. Metro buses are on a “severe” snow service plan, with 81 bus routes operating. [WMATA]

‘Snow Dragon’ to Melt Snow at RFK Stadium Lots — A borrowed “snow dragon” truck will be used to melt snow that has been dumped at parking lots around RFK Stadium. [WUSA9]

Few People Take Advantage of Hot Meals at D.C. Schools Yesterday — Yesterday, several schools across the District, including Eastern High School and Jefferson Academy Middle School, offered free breakfast and lunch for students and their families, but few people showed up to take advantage of the offer. The schools will offer free meals again today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. [WUSA9]

Capitol Hill Home of Early 70s Lesbian Feminist Group Could Become Historic Landmark — A rowhome at 219 11th St. SE could be designated a historic landmark because it was the headquarters of a lesbian feminist separatist group called the Furies Collective in the early 1970s. [Washington Blade]

Thanks to reader Cynthia Wei for sending the photo above of her snow-covered car masquerading as a storm trooper on Sunday. Email or tweet us your best snow pictures as we continue to dig out!

The dig out continued in the Capitol Hill area today, with many main streets cleared but sidewalks and side streets still covered in snow. With Mayor Muriel Bowser still encouraging drivers and pedestrians to stay off the streets, many Hill area residents spent the day clearing the snow or finding creative ways to enjoy it.

Several readers sent photos of snow forts around the area, but the best was the “Pigloo” at the intersection of 3rd and K streets NE. In addition to being a genius combination of an igloo and a pig, the Pigloo also appears to have indoor lighting.

Another reader sent us the picture above of Totoro, a character in the movie My Neighbor Totoro and a very handsome snowman.

Across the Hill, ANC 6B Commissioner Denise Krepp shared a photo of a “spacious new one bedroom” igloo in Hill East.

Spacious new one bedroom on Capitol Hill. Cool air & half block from @wmata station. #DigOutDC #HillEast pic.twitter.com/nxjS4k85XD

— Denise Rucker Krepp (@kdrkrepp) January 25, 2016

However, it wasn’t all fun and games around the Hill. As residents leave their homes to shake off cabin fever, many have been participating in the time-honored tradition of snow shaming. Krepp’s ANC 6B colleague Nick Berger posted a roundup on his blog of Hill East businesses that were great about shoveling their sidewalks and those that didn’t even try.

And while many residents took to Twitter to complain about businesses in their neighborhoods that haven’t shoveled sidewalks, Tommy Wells, the Director of the District Department of Energy and Environment said that, on the whole, Capitol Hill area sidewalks were looking good.

More sidewalks were shoveled yesterday than I've ever seen on Capitol Hill after a snow. Such amazing volunteers! #snowzilla

— Tommy Wells (@TommyWells) January 25, 2016

Got any pictures of your snow day in the Capitol Hill area? Email us or tweet at us and let us know how you’re making the dig out fun.

 

Winter storm Jonas/Snowzilla/Gorf has moved up the East Coast and left the Capitol Hill area with sunny weather and plenty of snow to deal with. H Street Weather Geek measured just over 22 inches of total snow in the H Street corridor area.

This morning, Mayor Muriel Bowser held a press conference to ask pedestrians and cars to stay off roads as the District Department of Transportation begins to clear streets. She also announced that D.C. Public Schools will be closed tomorrow as the cleanup continues.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will make an announcement about Metrorail and bus service this afternoon, but is not expected to resume service until tomorrow morning at the earliest.

Because Metro remains closed, Ice Yards at The Yards, which was slated to take place today, has been pushed to next Saturday.

As Capitol Hill area residents emerge from their snow bunkers to shovel, restock or sled, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of the snow in the area:

Pitch In to Dig Out

At her press conference this morning, Bowser once again urged residents and businesses to clear sidewalks in their area to keep pedestrians safely off the streets.

Bowser also renewed calls for residents to volunteer to help their neighbors dig out by joining the DC Resident Snow Team and clearing sidewalks for seniors and neighbors with disabilities.

Residents can also call 202-727-7925 to find out if there is someone nearby who needs help clearing their sidewalk.

#NoSavesies

The Metropolitan Police Department warned drivers today that officers will be ticketing cars that obstruct snow clean up efforts.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier also warned those who must drive that they cannot “save” their parking space after they’ve left.

.@DCPoliceDept Chief Lanier: You can't "save" your parking space on the street just b/c you dug out your car. #NoSavesies

— Public Safety in DC (@SafeDC) January 23, 2016

Have Some Fun

Between the shoveling and the parking tickets, it’s important to remember to have fun in the snow too.

Plenty of children (and adults) made their way to the U.S. Capitol this morning and yesterday to experience the first year of legal snowing on the Capitol grounds.

Judging by the tracks and footprints in the snow, plenty of Hill area residents sled free at the Capitol this year. Tim Krepp, the leader of last year’s #SledFreeOrDie protest that defied the ban by sledding at the Capitol even noted that the ban being lifted may have made the Capitol too mainstream for his band of sledding pioneers.

No one sleds there any more. It's too crowded. pic.twitter.com/VW054AEqW0

— Tim Krepp (@timkrepp) January 24, 2016

For those more interested in throwing snow than gliding on it, a massive snowball fight is being organized between 1 and 2 at Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill.

Lincoln Park DC Snowball Fight!! 1-2pm Sunday 1/24. At statue of President Lincoln in his park @PoPville @theHillisHome @DCist

— philabroad (@philabroad) January 23, 2016

What’s Open?

Many Capitol Hill area businesses will be opening their doors today for diners and shoppers eager to shake off the cabin fever. Here are opening’s we’ve seen so far. Know other places that are open today? Let us know is the comments!

• Metro Mutts at 508 H St. NE is open today
• Sona Creamery at Eastern Market will open at 1 with a limited menu and full bar
• Garrison restaurant at 524 8th St. SE is open
• DCanter Wines at 545 8th St. SE is open from noon-6 p.m. with a mulled wine tasting from 1-4 p.m.
• Sally’s Middle Name at 1320 H St. NE opened for brunch at 10 a.m.
• Argonaut at 1433 H St. NE opened for brunch at 10 a.m.
• Peregrinbe Espresso at Eastern Market is open until 4 p.m. today
• Boundary Road at 414 H St. NE opened for brunch at 11:30 a.m. and will stay open for dinner at 5:30 p.m.
• Granville Moore’s at 1238 H St. NE opened at 11 a.m. for brunch and mussels
• Uni Bistro at 403 H St. NE is open today
• Po Boy Jim at 709 H St. NE opened at noon
•  Hanks On The Hill at 633 Pennsylvania Ave. SE opened at noon with a limited menu and a $10 mix & match bottomless drink special
• Ebenezers Coffeehouse at 201 F St. NE is open until 4 p.m.
• Bluejacket at 300 Tingey St. SE will open at 1:30 p.m. today with a full bar and a limited food menu
• Agua 301 restaurant at 301 Water St. SE will open at 3 p.m. with a happy hour from 3:30-7 p.m.
• The Big Board at 421 H St. NE opened at noon with a full menu
• Barrel restaurant at 613 Pennsylvania Ave. SE is open for brunch

Video via H St. Weather Geek

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/[email protected]

(Updated at 2 p.m.) With snow expected to start falling in the next few hours, many Capitol Hill area residents are making their final preparations for the big storm.

The blizzard, variously known as Snowzilla, Jonas or Gorf, is expected to drop up to 30 inches of snow over the next two days. Earlier today, Mayor Muriel Bowser advised residents to stay home after 3 p.m., which leaves only a couple hours for last-minute preparations.

As expected, many stores around the Capitol Hill area are sporting some empty shelves today, but we’re compiling a list of places are open and in-stock. Whether you need food, a shovel or a six-pack, here are some places that Capitol Hill residents have noted are still open.

If you know of another area store, be sure to mention it in the comments or tweet us. We will update this list throughout the afternoon:

• A reader saw a large line at the corner market at 3rd Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE about 1:55 p.m.

Hey near NE neighbors! Capitol Hill Supermarket, 3rd and Mass NE is open reg hrs today (10 pm close). No bread tho. pic.twitter.com/Yff0zbWvHa

— María Helena Carey (@TheMadameMeow) January 22, 2016

Heard that 7-Rivers Mkt at 11th & C NE is well-stocked and may be open during storm. Mr. Ko is a regular donor to Maury ES.

— … (@oortville) January 22, 2016

Stock up before the snow. #hstne #beeroclock pic.twitter.com/yGyqJOg3cT

— Beer Market (@beermarketdc) January 22, 2016

Capitol Hill PSA: The Corner Market(4th & E Cap) will be open all weekend. Owner(?) said he's going to sleep there cc @theHillisHome

— Sarah Mimms (@SarahMMimms) January 21, 2016

We have ice melt, shovels, & firewood. No sleds or saucers.

— Frager's Hardware (@Fragers) January 22, 2016

Snow Expected to Start in Capitol Hill Area Between Noon and 2 p.m. — Storm models earlier this morning suggested that the coming blizzard could begin in the Capitol Hill area as early as noon-2 p.m. [Washington Post]

Capitol Hill Elementary School Teacher Found Not Guilty of Sexual Assault — Former Miner Elementary School special education teacher Leroy Damien Ware was acquitted on charges that he sexually assaulted a 9-year-old student at the Capitol Hill school in 2014. [Washington Post]

NoMa Among Fastest Growing Neighborhood in the District — The NoMa Business Improvement District released a report showing that the neighborhood is one of the fastest growing in the District and is on track to become the most densely populated. [Greater Greater Washington]

Taxi Fares to Increase by $15 for Duration of Storm — D.C. taxicabs will charge a “snow emergency fare” of $15 this weekend starting at 9:30 a.m. today. [WJLA]

Mayor Muriel Bower issued a state of emergency and a snow emergency for the Capitol Hill area and the rest of the District. Bowser made the announcement at a press conference to discuss the blizzard that could bring more than a foot of snow to D.C.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard watch for D.C. from Friday afternoon to Saturday night. The watch says that conditions are expected to be worst on Friday afternoon, with heavy snow and strong winds causing “potential life threatening conditions.”

The snow emergency, which officially begins tomorrow morning, bans parking along snow emergency routes. The snow emergency routes in the Capitol Hill area are:

• North Capitol Street
• Florida Avenue NE
• Benning Road NE
• H Street NE and NW
• Massachusetts Avenue NW
• Constitution Avenue NE between I-395 and 14th Place NE
• North Carolina Avenue between 14th Place NE and 16th Street NE
• C Street NE between 16th Street NE
• Independence Avenue SE and SW
• Pennsylvania Avenue SE
• M Street SE and SW
• Maine Avenue SE
• South Capitol Street

Cars parked along snow emergency routes will be towed starting at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.

D.C. Public Schools will also be closed tomorrow and the District has recommended that charter schools close as well. Most District government offices will close at noon tomorrow.

Light Snow Causes Traffic Nightmares, Chaos — Many people spent hours stuck in traffic last night after about 1 1/2 inches of snow fell in D.C., and some say local government agencies seemed unprepared. [Washington Post]

Metro Shifts Bus Service to ‘Light Snow’ Plan — Metrobus is operating on its “light snow” plan today, with all buses running and some planned detours. [WMATA]

Matchbox Begins Expansion on Barracks Row — Barracks Row eatery Matchbox has posted a liquor license placard announcing plans to expand into the former Las Placitas location next door, adding 45 dining seat, 14 bar seats and six patio seats. [PoPville]

More Details on D.C. United Buzzard Point Stadium Plans — D.C. United submitted more detailed plans for its new stadium on Buzzard Point, noting that the stadium will have a “contemporary-industrial” design and 233 bike parking spaces. [SWTLQTC]

Capitol Hill area residents should prepare for a lot of snow and powerful winds this weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard watch for D.C. from Friday afternoon to Saturday night. The watch says that conditions are expected to be worst on Friday afternoon, with heavy snow and strong winds causing “potential life threatening conditions.”

The District government has also activated its “Cold Emergency Plan,” guaranteeing shelter for all homeless individuals. To request shelter transport for D.C. residents who are homeless and on the street, contact the shelter hotline at [email protected], 202-399-7093 or 1-800-535-7252.

Meteorologists are expecting between one and two feet of snow to fall in the District between Friday and Sunday, making this one of the largest snow storms ever in D.C.

This will also be the first snow storm since Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a law allowing the Department of Public Works to fine homeowners and business owners who do not remove snow and ice from paved sidewalks adjacent to their property. Fines are set at $25 for residential properties and $150 for commercial properties.

Homeowners who are 65-years-old or older and those with disabilities are exempt under the law and will not be fined.