Getting Reports it Might Snow – Live From Costco “DO NOT GO”

Laura reports around 10:30am on Saturday: “I should’ve known this would happen, but everyone and their mother has come to the DC Costco this morning. Unless you absolutely have to, avoid it at all costs. The back of the line is all the way at the back of the store, snaking through aisles. No social distancing possible. People yelling. It’s madness.”

National Weather Service reports: “Winter Storm Watch in effect late Saturday night through Sunday night for the potential of 5 or more inches of snow. Additional snow is possible Monday and Monday night as well.”

From the Mayor’s Office: “Mayor Muriel Bowser announced she will deploy the District Snow Team at midnight, Sunday, January 31, in preparation for a possible four to six inches of snowfall starting around daybreak Sunday and possibly continuing into Tuesday.

Brine application crews will begin spraying the “hot mix” combination of brine and beet juice at midnight to reduce the temperature where ice bonds to the pavement. Below to slightly above freezing air and pavement temperatures are expected through Tuesday.

The Snow Team will deploy 147 heavy plows (six- and 10-wheel dump trucks) to apply salt to highways, streets, bridges, ramps, and other elevated structures, and 81 light plows (pickup trucks) that clear snow from smaller streets.

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 alertdc.dc.gov. View Neighbor-2-Neighbor videos, at snow.dc.gov/page/neighbor-2-neighbor-snow-prep-tips, for residents’ snow prep tips.

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.

Buildings and COVID-19 Testing Sites

Pre-treatment and snow removal will occur at municipal buildings, first responder locations, hypothermia centers, and homeless shelters.

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.”