Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The 'Snowquester' brought less snow than predicted with little accumulation inside the Beltway.
The winter storm warning for the entire Washington, DC, region has been canceled, according to the National Weather Service. A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 9 p.m. Snow mixed with rain is expected to continue throughout the afternoon and taper off this evening. The snowfall in much of Montgomery County was less than the predicted four to eight inches, according to forecasters. There was little accumulation inside the Beltway in the immediate Washington, DC region, Capital Weather Gang reported. However, snowfall totals varied across the region, with Reagan National Airport receiving .2 inches of snow and Dulles receiving 3.5 inches, with continuing snow, according to the report.
Parking will be free until 7 a.m. Thursday, according to Montgomery County.
Parking at county garages and metered spaces is free today as a storm bears down on the region, the Montgomery County government reported via Twitter. County parking will be free until 7 a.m. Thursday.
If you need to drive, slow down, use caution, and leave extra distance between your car and the driver ahead of you.
The best advice for drivers today is to stay off the roads, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration. For those who need to drive, SHA is urging motorists to slow down, use caution and increase the distance between your car and the driver ahead of you. “Don’t be misled by the bare pavement you may see as you wake up this morning. Conditions will change rapidly and we’re urging drivers to stay off the roads and leave the driving to our crews,” SHA Administrator Melinda B. Peters said in a news release. “Although crews are primarily treating roads with salt, we fully anticipate plowing roads as snow begins to accumulate. If you encounter our crews, remember to leave plenty of following distance and never try to pass plows.” …
Metro is aiming to give two hours advance warning should bus service be suspended.
Metro is operating on a normal weekday schedule Wednesday as the Washington region braces for a potentially major snowstorm. MetroAccess service and certain Metro commuter bus routes have been canceled, however, and Ride On buses are experiencing delays. Metrorail customers are advised to plan extra time for their commute. “You may encounter minor delays due to snow and ice clearing efforts, as equipment that removes snow and ice from the third rail operates between regularly scheduled trains,” the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a statement. Some Metrobus routes may be detoured and bus service may be reduced or suspended as conditions deteriorate, Metro said. Metro is aiming to notify Metrobus riders two hours in …
Winter storm closes federal and county offices.
Schools and government offices are closed Wednesday, as the first significant snow storm in two years made its way across the region. Montgomery County Public Schools and their administrative offices are closed and all activities in school buildings are canceled, the school system announced. Federal government offices in the Washington, D.C., area will be closed and non-emergency federal employees will be granted excused absences, the Office of Personnel Management said on its website. Montgomery County goverment offices are closed. "Essential personnel should report to work," the county's website said. Montgomery College is closed and testing deadlines will be adjusted by one day, the college's website said. The Universities at Shady …
Storm warning lifted; SHA continues to urge caution on roads.
Update, 5 p.m.: Snow emergency responses wound down, as the National Weather Service canceled the winter storm warning for the Washington metropolitan region Wednesday afternoon. The Maryland State Highway Administration urged motorists to continue to drive with caution, especially after sundown as visibility drops and roads could freeze. SHA encouraged drivers to dial 511 or go to www.MD511.org for traffic, weather alerts and road conditions. Road conditions, live traffic cameras and a variety of information to help with travel decisions and planning are available at www.roads.maryland.gov, SHA said in a news release. The Montgomery County government said its 311 call center would close at 7 p.m. and reopen at 6 a.m. Thursday. Pepco …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The warning goes into effect at midnight.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for Montgomery County, in effect from midnight tonight through 3 a.m. Thursday. The storm that’s been dubbed the “snowquester” is expected to dump 4 to 8 inches of snow on Montgomery County, beginning Tuesday evening and tapering off Wednesday night. The Washington Post’s "Capital Weather Gang" blog is predicting higher snowfall accumulations in the northern and western portions of the county. Snow-covered roads are expected to make travel difficult, and the storm could also bring power outages.
Matt
10:26 am on Thursday, March 7, 2013
I think the forecasters that claimed we would get 7-12" of snow, (and we got 0") should be furloughed too. more ›