Ice packed on top of inches of snow is making it difficult for the D.C. area to get moving again, and wind chills in the teens won’t help. On Tuesday, most schools are closed and transit is limited as other services gradually come back online.
Numerous key roads have been plowed by now, but they’re lined with big piles of hard-packed snow. Many drivers are stuck after plows pushed a wall of cement-like snow their way. (Need to report an unplowed street? Here’s how.)
If you’ve tried using a shovel or simply gone outside, you know this isn’t your average snow. In Northern Virginia, we saw people getting creative and clearing snow with dust pans, fishing nets – and even fire! Watch:
News4’s Julie Carey discovered some people are resorting to some unique tactics to try and get through the ice and snow in Northern Virginia.
People who need assistance cleaning up can look for city or country programs, including Operation Silver Shovel in Prince George’s and D.C.’s Snow Team Heroes.
Transportation infrastructure is slowly recovering. In D.C., Snow emergency towing and ticketing remain in effect, Mayor Muriel Bowser said. In Montgomery County, crews are more than 50% done plowing residential streets as of 5 a.m., the county said.
Airports are recovering as well, but travelers should still check with their airlines before heading out. Reagan National reported 131 flights were canceled as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, while Dulles and BWI Marshall collectively had 20 cancellations, according to Flight Aware.
Of course, there’s still room to have some fun. Our viewers made an Olympian-level effort to play Snow Stick Games!
Here’s what to know about some key services.
Prince George’s County Public Schools will be closed through Thursday. News4’s Darcy Spencer has what you need to know.
Closings: Federal offices and most schools won’t open Tuesday
Federal offices are closed, and Prince George’s County called off school until Thursday, but will offer meal distributions at five locations Wedneday. Most D.C.-area schools are closed, along with many other entities.
Fairfax Circuit Court will be closed again, meaning the blockbuster au pair affair double murder trial will be paused for a second day. This adds a pressure point, attorney and NBC News legal analyst Kristen Gibbons Feden noted.
Here’s a full list of closings.
Fairfax County plows are hard at work clearing snow-packed roads, but there’s still more work to be done. Residents are chipping in, too. News4’s Drew Wilder reports.
Transit service limited or canceled Tuesday
Metro will offer limited service. Trains are running and Metrorail is operating on a weekend schedule. Bus service will ramp up, with 40 routes running. Routes will be reinstated as roads get cleaned up, Metro said. Check here for information on your bus route. Metro Access will run medically-necessary trips.
Expect canceled or limited service in Maryland and Virginia. Fairfax Connector will run limited service and Ride On buses are running S Service. VRE canceled service, and MARC will only run the Penn Line on a Sunday schedule.
Government services
Some are on pause, while others gradually return. Several D.C. libraries are scheduled to open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Montgomery County said trash pickups are scheduled to resume Tuesday. But Arlington County canceled Tuesday’s trash pickups and won’t do make-up runs.
Warming centers are open for those needing to get out of the cold. In most areas, you can visit your county or city website or call 311 to get help.
Another winter storm?
You’re not having déjà vu. Storm Team4 is tracking the potential for another winter storm this weekend. But don’t trust random weather apps promising another dump of snow.
“For this to be a big storm in our area would be really tough. The upper-level system that would help to produce this storm looks to be a little too far to the east for us to get a ton of snow. As of right now, I am thinking we get a glancing blow from this storm, but we will be watching it closely,” Storm Team4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer said.
Download our NBC Washington app, which is updated by our Storm Team4 meteorologists, to get the best forecast and daily updates.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
