weather

Photo by PoPville flickr user clif_burns

It was for real this time!

From WMATA:

“All Metrobus service (all routes, all lines) is now suspended until further notice due to current extremely hazardous weather and road conditions. The decision to suspend service was made at 3:15 a.m. by Metro’s Emergency Command Center, which has been monitoring weather and road conditions throughout the overnight hours. Bus service will only be restored when it is safe to do so.”

From MPD:

“U.S. Park Police reports that due to severe weather and road conditions Rock Creek Parkway is closed at this time.”

From Meridian Pint (11th and Park Rd, NW):

“We will be open at 10am for brunch, snow day fun, and Winter Olympic action! Come on by!”

More restaurant/bar specials, snowball fights and other weather updates as more is known and of course please send good snow photos via email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail or tweet me @PoPville or upload to the PoPville flickr pool.

Thanks to a reader for sending this shot of Ledroit Park:

Photo by PoPville flickr user nevermindtheend

Ed. Note: As always if you guys get any good snow photos please send an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail or tweet me @PoPville or upload to the PoPville flickr pool.  Stay safe and have fun!

From the Office of the Mayor:

“The District of Columbia government will be closed on Thursday, February 13, 2014, due to inclement weather in the Washington metropolitan area. D.C. Public Schools will also be closed. A snow emergency remains in effect.”

From OPM:

“Washington, DC, Area

Applies to: February 13, 2014
Status: Federal Offices are Closed – Emergency and Telework-ready Employees Must Follow Their Agency’s Policies

FEDERAL OFFICES in the Washington, DC, area are CLOSED. Emergency and telework-ready employees required to work must follow their agency’s policies, including written telework agreements.”

From WMATA:

“The Metrorail system will open at 5 a.m. with service expected to run on or close to a regular weekday schedule as long as conditions permit. Service levels may be reduced later in the day due to expected low ridership and deteriorating weather conditions. During the morning rush hour, an effort will be made to run trains about every 6-10 minutes on all lines.

IMPORTANT: High snowfall conditions in aboveground sections of track can result in snow and ice interacting with the electrified third rail. If conditions develop where areas of snow reach 8 inches near the third rail, it may be necessary to suspend service above ground.

Metrobus service will start Thursday on Severe Snow Emergency Routing, meaning SERVICE WILL BE LIMITED ONLY TO MAJOR ARTERIES. Click here for a list of routes that are expected to operate. Buses will operate less freqently than normal, and riders should expect the possibility of delays and detours.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user AWard Tour

From the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission:

“The Snow Emergency Fare will go in effect to coincide with the declaration by the Mayor of a snow emergency. The fare will remain in effect for 12 hours unless extended as determined by the weather conditions. This fare authorizes taxis to add a flat fee of $15 to the metered charge. Drivers are advised to monitor the website for possible extensions.”

and from DPW:

“DC USA, (3100 14th Street, NW) has announced that they will provide free parking for residents in Wards 1, 2, 4 and 6. They will accommodate vehicles in the lower parking level at no charge while snow emergency is in effect. Snow emergency goes into effect at 6:30 p.m. Today February 12, 2014. Motorists are asked to park in the lower level, go to the parking office and provide vehicle information. When residents are ready to leave they must go back to the parking office to get ticket validated.”

Click map to enlarge and navigate

From ANC Rep Alex Padro:

“A Snow Emergency will be in effect, as of 6:30 PM. Don’t park on 7th Street, 9th Street, L Street, Rhode Island Avenue, New York Avenue, and Massachusetts Avenue or face towing and a minimum $375 fine.”

Update from the Mayor’s Office:

“With a heavy snowfall predicted, the District announced today that a snow emergency will go into effect at 6:30 pm, Wednesday, February 12. By declaring a snow emergency, the District Snow Team (Department of Public Works and Department of Transportation) will be able to clear snow emergency routes curb to curb. 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 snow emergency will remain in effect until an announcement is made that it has been lifted. Motorists are asked to tune into television and radio broadcast stations or go to www.snow.dc.gov for a notice that the snow emergency has been lifted.

Vehicles ticketed for a snow emergency violation and towed by DPW will be taken to the DPW Impound Lot at 5001 Shepherd Parkway, SW 20032. The lot is open weekdays from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm, the telephone number is 202.645.5500. The lot is closed weekends, holidays and when DC government is closed. To have an impounded vehicle released, these fees must be paid before the vehicle will be released:

· $250 ticket for the snow emergency violation.
· $100 tow fee.
· $20 per day storage fee.

Additional fees also may be required to be paid, e.g., fees for tickets older than 60 days that have not been entered into the adjudication system.

These fees may be paid at the impound lot by bank debit card, credit card (Mastercard, Visa and Discover) or online through the Department of Motor Vehicles Website — http://dmv.dc.gov/.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user number7cloud

From the District Snow Team:

“With up to 12 inches of snow predicted, the District Snow Team (Department of Public Works and Department of Transportation) will go into a full deployment Wednesday, February 12, putting 287 plows on District commercial and residential streets by 9 pm. The forecast calls for a 100% chance for snow sometime after 7PM Wednesday and snow will continue falling through Thursday evening. The heaviest snowfall is expected after midnight Thursday and could mix with sleet to reduce accumulation. The low temperature Wednesday night is 19F and the high Thursday is 26F.

“If the forecast holds, this will be our first chance this season to tackle a heavy snowfall,” said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr. “We are ready, our equipment is ready and we have plenty of salt. Of course, if enough snow accumulates, we will plow the streets.”

He added that this will be a heavy snow, which could lead to power outages from downed wires. Should power outages occur, Pepco strongly urges the public to call 1-877-Pepco-62 (1-877-737-2662) to report power outages and downed wires (stay away from downed wires and report them immediately).

Residential and commercial property owners are asked to apply an abrasive such as non-clumping kitty litter, rock salt or deicer before the storm begins. They also should be aware that sidewalks must be cleared of snow within 24 hours of the end of the storm.

“While our deployment is based on a forecast 24 hours before the storm is to begin, we know that conditions can change,” noted Director Howland. “Given the amount of snow forecasted, the District may implement a snow emergency/no parking plan Wednesday evening. That’s why we ask everyone to tune into television or radio news broadcasts for the latest information about conditions.”

To track the plows, go to snow.dc.gov and click on Track Our Plows.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user ep_jhu

Ed. Note: Pun intended?

From DC Water:

“Bitter Cold January Causes Flood of Water Emergency Calls

January’s bitter cold may have driven many people indoors, but for DC Water’s repair crews, there was no escape. They were out in the field, in single-digit temperatures, responding to three times as many water main breaks and leaks as in a usual month. DC Water repaired nearly 90 water main breaks and 40 leaks, when average is about 29 per month. The cold temperatures and fluctuations in temperature caused so much stress to water infrastructure that on some days, call center staff responded to up to 10 times the average number of emergency calls. DC Water answered 11,700 emergency calls in January, compared to the norm of 3,250.

In the month, there were nearly 1,000 calls about broken pipes and other indoor plumbing emergencies, which are typically handled by residents or their plumbers. But DC Water helped many callers locate their emergency shut-off valves or pointed them to information on how to gently thaw their frozen pipes. In some cases, DC Water even deployed crews to shut off water at the meter when requested by homeowners who couldn’t find their shut off valves and whose homes were flooding.

DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins said, “I am always inspired by our dedicated crews who brave extreme weather conditions to ensure critical service to our customers. They, and our call center and customer service staff, truly rose to the occasion over the past month.”

From DC Water:

“Prepare your Pipes for the Next Cold Snap–and what to do if they freeze–

PREVENT FROZEN PIPES
There are steps you can take to help prevent the pipes in your home from freezing or breaking.

Pipes that freeze most frequently are those that are exposed to the outside, such as outdoor hose outlets, water sprinkler lines and water pipes in unheated interior areas such as kitchen cabinets, attics, garages, basements and crawl spaces.

Before cold weather arrives, you may want to follow these recommendations:
• Remove, drain, and store garden hoses.
• Close the inside valves that control the water supply to outside hose attachments (hose bibs).
• Open the outside hose bibs to allow any water in the line to drain out. Keep this valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.
• You may want to install a pipe sleeve for water pipes that are not insulated. Building supply stores carry these and other supplies for insulating pipes.
• If you go away for an extended time during cold weather, leave the thermostat set above 55 degrees before you leave.
• In severely cold weather, allow cold water to drip from faucets served by exposed pipes. The cold water is still above freezing and will help prevent the pipe from freezing.

IF YOUR PIPES FREEZE, GENTLY THAW (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user kenudigit

From OPM:

“Status: Open – 2 hours Delayed Arrival – With Option for Unscheduled Leave or Unscheduled Telework

Federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area are OPEN under 2 hours DELAYED ARRIVAL and employees have the OPTION FOR UNSCHEDULED LEAVE OR UNSCHEDULED TELEWORK. Employees should plan to arrive for work no more than 2 hours later than they would be expected to arrive.”

From @mayorvincegray:

“DC Government will open on a two-hour delay on Wednesday, January 22. @dcpublicschools will remain CLOSED due to weather.”

From WMATA:

“Metrorail
Rail service will run on a regular weekday schedule. Check wmata.com before starting your trip or sign up for MetroAlerts to receive updated service information by email or text message.

Metrobus
Bus service will begin Wednesday on snow emergency routing. During this time, Metrobuses will only operate on designated snow routes as indicated on our website.”

From DPW:

“On Wednesday, January 22nd, the Department of Public Works is collecting Tuesday’s trash and recyclables as road conditions permit. As a result of the snow storm, some untreated alleys may not be passable with a large truck. DPW is requesting that residents with alley collections whose trash and/or recyclables are not collected pull their containers back onto their properties. Collections will be made on the next regularly scheduled service day.

Residents with bulk appointments also can expect those collections to be made as road conditions permit. If you have a bulk appointment for Wednesday, January 22nd and the items are not collected, please call 311 to reschedule your collection day.”