photo by Diane Krauthamer
Just in for DCPS parents – go ahead and pour yourselves another drink.
— PoPville (@PoPville) January 3, 2022
From the Mayor’s Office last night:
“Mayor Bowser also announced that Safe Return operations at DC Public Schools (DCPS) will shift one day. Schools will be closed on Monday, January 3. DCPS staff should report their COVID-19 test results before 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 4. DCPS students must now test on Wednesday, January 5. Families can pick up their rapid antigen test on Tuesday, January 4 between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. or on Wednesday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Schools are scheduled to re-open on Thursday, January 6.
District Government will operate in a telework posture for non-essential/non-emergency employees. Essential employees will report for duty as previously scheduled, unless otherwise directed. All in-person programming at DC Government agencies will be closed. Virtual appointments and online services will continue unless otherwise stated.
Test Yourself DC at-home PCR tests and Test Yourself Express rapid tests will be available for pick-up on Monday, January 3 from 2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (or until supplies run out) at four firehouses:
Engine 4 at 2531 Sherman Ave NW
Engine 8 at 1520 C St SE
Engine 31 at 4930 Connecticut Ave NW
Engine 33 is located at 101 Atlantic St SE
All other testing sites will be closed. Residents will still be able to drop off Test Yourself DC tests at drop boxes at libraries and recreation centers before 8:00 p.m. Engines 4, 8, 31, and 33 will also accept Test Yourself DC drop-offs on January 3 during the hours listed above.
Meal distribution sites at DCPS and Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) facilities will be closed.
Trash, recycling, and Christmas tree collections will “slide” to the next day for the remainder of the week into Saturday. For example, households that normally receive trash/recycling collections on Monday will be serviced Tuesday.
While the snow emergency is in effect, motorists may not park on snow emergency routes and vehicles parked on these routes may be towed.
Find a map of the snow emergency routes at snow.dc.gov. To learn where a vehicle has been towed, call the Towed Vehicle Locator office at 202-541-6083, or go to http://dpw.dc.gov/service/locate-towed-vehicle.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) leads the District Snow Team with support from the Department of Transportation (DDOT), Department of General Services (DGS), Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Serve DC, and several other agencies.
Residents and commuters are encouraged to register for important weather alerts from the District by signing up for AlertDC at alert.dc.gov.
The District Snow Team also encourages residents and commercial property owners to apply abrasives such as rock salt, deicer, or non-clumping kitty litter to the sidewalks around their properties prior to snowfall to reduce the possibility of icing and to prevent slips and falls. The Snow Team uses pet friendly deicer on District pedestrian bridges.
Residential and commercial property owners are required to clear snow and ice from their sidewalks within the first eight hours of daylight following the end of the storm. Through the Sidewalk Shoveling Exemption Program, qualified residents will be exempt from this requirement if they own and live in their own homes (single-family or apartment building with no more than three units) and are 65 years old or older and/or living with a disability. Just call 311 to apply by February 28, 2021, the deadline for this year.
Residents are also encouraged to join Serve DC’s Volunteer Snow Team, which helps clear sidewalks for registered seniors who are 65 and older, and residents with access functionality needs. This year, Serve DC especially needs volunteers in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8. Volunteers can sign-up at servedc.galaxydigital.com.
Buildings and COVID-19 Sites
The Snow Team is pre-treating and will remove snow at municipal buildings, first responder locations, hypothermia centers, homeless shelters, COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, and DC Public Schools.
Hypothermia Alert and Shelters
If you see someone outside in need of shelter or a welfare check, during freezing temperatures, call the Shelter Hotline at 202-399-7093, or dial 311. If there is an immediate risk to safety call 911. Transportation to shelter is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Streateries
Streateries and parklets are not to be used during a Snow Emergency.”