Clouds Out, Plows Out – “possibility of 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulating overnight”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Phil

From the Mayor’s Office:

“On Sunday, January 29, at 10:00 p.m., with the possibility of 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulating overnight, the DC Government will deploy 130 trucks from the District Snow Team. Forecasters predict a light snow beginning Sunday at 10:00 p.m. and going through 4:00 a.m. Monday morning. With temperatures predicted to drop below freezing, it is likely that streets and sidewalks will freeze and any precipitation will stick. As an extra precaution, the District Snow Team has already started to pretreat major streets, highways, bridges, overpasses, and other elevated structures with a brine/beet juice mixture to help retard freezing.

Tonight’s deployment will continue until the threat of snow has passed. Plows will be positioned on bridges and overpasses as well as freeways, major routes, and residential streets to monitor conditions and spread salt or plow when necessary. Motorists are asked to drive cautiously and, if possible, take public transportation instead of driving. DC residents should be aware of hazardous road conditions, specifically black ice – a thin, clear sheet of ice that looks like pavement – which can be deceptive in appearance and give drivers a false sense of security on the road.

The DC Snow Team advises pedestrians and motorists to heed the following important safety tips:

Keep a safe distance from emergency and snow vehicles and use caution when attempting to pass a snowplow – give drivers plenty of room to safely do their jobs.
Take Metro as an alternative to driving.
Drive cautiously and maintain safe speeds and distances from other vehicles.
Drive carefully on bridges, ramps, and other elevated structures, which can freeze before the roadway.
Before a snow event, residents and businesses should apply abrasives to the sidewalks around their properties to reduce the possibility of icing.

Property owners – residential and commercial – are reminded that they are required to remove snow from their sidewalks within the first eight hours of daylight after a snow event ends. Residents who are homeowners and live in their own homes and are age 65 or older and/or living with a disability may be eligible for an exemption from this requirement. For further information about the exemption process and to receive an application, call 311.”