March's Lion Roars Through Area

Significant Snow Accumulation, Major Delays Expected From Winter Storm

By Lena H. Sun

Originally published at 4:22 p.m., March 1, 2009
Updated at 12:01 a.m., March 2, 2009

Area transportation officials braced yesterday for what they say could be the largest winter storm in three years, which could dump up to 10 inches of snow by this morning in some parts of the area and make the morning commute maddening.

By 8:30 last night, three of the area's major public school systems had announced that they would close today: those in Anne Arundel, Fairfax and Charles counties. Other public school systems also said they would close, along with Catholic University.

By 8 p.m., snow accumulation ranging from two to four inches had been reported at many spots in Prince George's County and Southern Maryland. Three inches were reported in Spotsylvania and King George counties in Virginia.

The worst of the snow is expected east of Interstate 95. Closer to the District and in Virginia, the forecast calls for four to eight inches of snow. Depending on how quickly the storm whisks up the East Coast, today's drive to work is likely to be a severe test, transportation officials said, and the afternoon commute could be affected as well. They are urging motorists to stay off the roads.

The heaviest accumulations are expected in Anne Arundel and Calvert counties, meteorologists said. Totals there could exceed snow totals for most winters.

Throughout the region, the forecast sent many people out yesterday to purchase bread and milk for their kitchens and rock salt for their sidewalks and driveways.

Metrorail plans to open at 5 a.m. today, as usual. But snowfalls of more than eight inches can affect aboveground rail service if snow and ice cover the electrified third rail, which must be clear to power the trains. Metro will be running trains with special equipment to keep snow and ice from building up.

If forecasts hold, most buses are likely to start the day behind schedule. Metrobus detours are likely because of road conditions, especially on side streets, spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said.

"This is obviously the big one," said Joan Morris, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation. "It's going to be bad during rush hour."

The National Weather Service issued a 24-hour winter storm warning for the region that extends until 2 p.m. today for the District and areas of Maryland and Northern Virginia east of the Blue Ridge. D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) declared a snow emergency, which restricts parking on certain streets.

The "primary burst" of snowfall was expected between 8 last night and 2 a.m., according to Andy Woodcock, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service. A second burst was expected from 4 a.m. into the late morning.

The timing of that second burst is the big issue for road crews.

"Our hope and expectation is that the vast majority of snow will be done by the beginning of rush hour," said Neil Pedersen, Maryland's state highway administrator. State officials had 2,400 pieces of equipment ready for deployment.

"But if it's still coming down between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. fairly intensely, that's when we would be really concerned, because it takes us typically one to two hours to have a snowplow crew complete a full route."

Snowplows could become further delayed by rush-hour traffic, he said.

High winds could also be a factor. Gusts of up to 30 mph are expected, said Jason Samenow, a forecaster with washingtonpost.com's Capital Weather Gang. "As the crews clear the roads, the winds could be blowing snow right back on the road, which could be sort of a wild card."

Temperatures will remain below freezing. The wind might push the wind chill to single digits tonight.

But unlike many mid-Atlantic storms that offer a menu of precipitation possibilities, this one looks like it will be mostly snow.

"It's a good one if you're a snow lover," Woodcock said. "I would much rather see this than those types where we're saying freezing rain or snow or sleet. Those always . . . leave me so mentally exhausted — I have to give every brain cell to do it."

How much snow the Washington area could get depends on the storm's track. If it "wobbles to the east," the region will be west of the biggest snows, Samenow said.

Upon hearing the forecast, residents headed to grocery stores to stock up. At a Home Depot in the District, ice-melting salt was nowhere to be seen. But somehow, Robert Bates, 42, of Capitol Hill walked out of the Brentwood store with a 50-pound bag on his shoulder. Seeing nothing in the general aisles, he went to the garden section and asked a clerk there, who had one last bag under the register. "I just got lucky," Bates said.

At the nearby Giant, customers stood in long lines while harried cashiers loaded bags of bread and gallons of milk into plastic shopping bags. Max Jones, 40, of Northwest Washington clutched a bag of sliced bread and a gallon of whole milk. "Having kids at home, you have to have something at least to make a sandwich or to have cereal," he said.

The area's last major snowstorm hit on a Saturday night, Feb. 11, 2006. When most people woke up Sunday, there was eight to 14 inches of snow on the ground. Alexandria got 6.2 inches, and 17 inches fell in parts of Montgomery County. Howard County was one of the worst hit, with more than 21 inches of snow recorded in Columbia. Reagan National Airport had more than eight inches.

To prepare for this storm, Virginia had 1,200 trucks deployed throughout Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties yesterday. VDOT trucks will concentrate on interstates, primary and secondary roads, followed by residential roads today. VDOT also has crews ready to handle fallen tree limbs that might block traffic.

After a disastrous rush-hour ice storm in February 2007 that closed the Springfield interchange, Virginia transportation officials said the lesson learned was "better to overreact," Morris said. The early snow forecast gave crews plenty of time to pretreat the Springfield interchange and other critical spots, such as bridges and ramps along the interstates, she said.

The District's transportation department has 200 to 350 pieces of equipment, including plows, sprayer trucks and contract plows, if necessary, to treat and clear elevated surfaces and roads.

Staff writers Theola Labbé-DeBose, Elissa Silverman and Martin Weil contributed to this report.

Tagged: National Weather Service, Northern Virginia, public transit, transportation, weather

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