weather

Photo by PoPville flickr user nevermindtheend

Photo by PoPville flickr user Clif Burns

Frozen. Winter Storm Stella doing her thing. ❄️💁

A post shared by Kelly Paras (@flipflopcaravan) on Mar 14, 2017 at 4:51am PDT

Photo by PoPville flickr user nevermindtheend

Photo by PoPville flickr user Paul Sirajuddin

From AlertDC:

“OPM decision for Tuesday, March 14: Federal Agencies in the Washington, DC area are OPEN under 3 Hours DELAYED ARRIVAL – With Option for Unscheduled Leave or Unscheduled Telework. Employees should plan to arrive for work no more than 3 hour(s) later than they would be expected to arrive.”

Update from AlertDC:

“The Mayor has determined we will have a two (2) hour delay for government operations and DC Public Schools (DCPS).”

Update from WMATA:

“Metrobus service, which started the day on a “Severe” snow service plan, will transition to a “Moderate” snow service plan as of 7 a.m. To see which bus routes operate under the Moderate plan, use the following link.”

Update from the National Zoo:

“The @NationalZoo will be closed today due to the inclement weather.”

Please send your snow photos via email to [email protected], tweet me @PoPville, upload to the PoPville Flickr pool or tag us #PoPville on Instagram.

Photo by PoPville flickr user Joe Flood

“With significant heavy, wet snow and high winds forecasted to hit the region this evening, Pepco is ready.

Pepco has opened our storm center. More than 2,500 employees and contractors are now preparing to respond to customer needs, repair potential storm damage, and safely restore service as quickly as possible. We are also working to secure additional local contractors and will be receiving additional support from our sister utility, ComEd, in Chicago.

Pepco has been mobilizing field and support personnel to be ready to respond to any potential service interruptions that may be caused by the possibility of heavy, wet snow and high wind gusts that can bring tree limbs down onto power lines and electric delivery equipment.

“Safety is a priority at Pepco, and we want our customers to remain safe by preparing for this winter storm in the event there are power outages,” said Donna Cooper, Pepco regional president. “We also want to remind all customers, including those with smart meters, to report their outages to Pepco by calling 1-877- PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662) or reporting online through mobile devices.” (more…)

Photo by Dan Jackson

Thanks to Dan for sending the shot above from the the Soviet Safeway in Dupont.

From the Mayor’s Office:

“With the National Weather Service forecasting between 2 and 13 inches of snow for Monday, March 13 going into Tuesday, March 14, the District Snow Team will go into full deployment on Monday evening, with more than 200 plows scheduled to be on their posts by 7:00 p.m. Precipitation is expected to start as rain Monday evening around 5:00 p.m. with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees, then transition to snow within two hours. Throughout Monday night and into Tuesday morning, temperatures are expected to drop into the low 30s as the snow continues.

“The DC Government is utilizing every resource to prepare for forecasted snowfall in the coming days,” said Mayor Bowser. “We urge residents to continue monitoring weather updates and to take necessary precautions in the event we experience significant snow accumulation Monday night into Tuesday morning.”

On Sunday, March 12, the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) began pretreating streets and highways with a mix of brine and beet juice that slows ice forming on roads, and the Department of General Services (DGS) pretreated sidewalks around DC Public Schools, Department of Parks and Recreation Centers, and Metropolitan Police Department and Fire and Emergency Medical Services properties. On Monday morning, DPW and DDOT will begin pretreating major roads and residential routes with rock salt and brine. As a precaution, residential and commercial property owners are advised to spread rock salt, de-icer, or non-clumping kitty litter on their sidewalks to prevent slips and falls.

Throughout the year, Serve DC, the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism, has compiled a list of senior citizens and residents with access and functional needs who will need assistance with snow removal after a snow event. Residents interested in assisting with snow removal can join the DC Resident Snow Team at ServeDC.VolunteerHub.com. In the event of snow accumulation, volunteers will likely be deployed on Tuesday afternoon when the snow event ends and conditions are safe for snow removal.

DPW has suspended street sweeping for Tuesday, and all scheduled bulk trash pickup appointments for Tuesday are cancelled and will be rescheduled.

In addition, the Department of Human Services (DHS), in collaboration with the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), will continue the activation of the city’s Cold Emergency Plan. Under a “Cold Emergency Alert” additional services and supports are provided to protect residents from life-threatening illness and injury associated with severe cold weather.

The DC Government activates the Cold Emergency Plan when the temperature and wind chill drop to 15° F or when the temperature, with wind chill, is 20° F and there is an accompanying meteorological event such as snow. DHS, HSEMA, and other agencies have determined that the weather, as forecasted, presents a danger, especially to residents who are experiencing homelessness.

Key services provided during Cold Emergency Alerts include: (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user Liz

From AlertDC:

“DHS reports the Hypothermia Alert is activated. The current temperature is 39 degrees and the wind chill is 30 degrees. The Tonight’s forecast calls for a low of 23 degrees. Isolated snow showers before 10 PM. Blustery, with a northwest wind 14 to 21 mph, with gust as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

To request shelter transport for DC residents who are homeless and on the street now, contact the Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or 311.“

Photo by PoPville flickr user Kevin Wolf

From the National Weather Service:

“Rain and snow continues to move across the Mid-Atlantic Region this morning. Breezy conditions expected this afternoon.”

Ed. Note: Thumbs up on the beer. They have 6-packs at Soapstone Market.

Photo by PoPville flickr user Jay Nix

From the National Park Service:

“Using recent temperature data, the current progression of the blooming phases, and the weather forecast for the next seven days, the National Park Service is forecasting that March 19-22 will be the start of the peak bloom period for the cherry blossoms. Last week, the National Park Service projected the peak bloom would start between March 14 and 17; the colder than originally forecast temperatures predicted for this weekend have prompted the date change. (more…)

Photo by John Groth

Batten down the hatches. From NWS:

“Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Some storms could be severe, with frequent lightning. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Breezy, with a southwest wind around 23 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.”

Update from ALERTDC:

“The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Severe Weather Warning for the District of Columbia. Severe thunderstorms have started to form in the western suburb of District. They will begin moving through District of Columbia shortly. The warning will remain in effect until 1:45pm. Power outages and tree damage are expected as the winds gust will be 50-60 mile per hour. Please use caution and take shelter as appropriate. Citizens may track the PEPCO Outages by clicking on/or copying and pasting the following web link into your browser http://www.pepco.com/pages/connectwithus/outages/OutageMaps.aspx”

Update:

“The National Weather Service has just EXTENDED the Severe Thurnder Storm Warning for the District of Columbia until 2:40pm.“

Thanks to Craig for sending from Columbia Heights.