The storm that hit the D.C. region this weekend brought so much snow and icy sleet that it forced people to close schools, cancel flights and even call off a massive snowball fight that was planned for the National Mall.
The weather may have also contributed to at least one death in the region.
On Sunday, shortly after 2:30 p.m., officers responded to a report that a man in his 70s had collapsed while clearing snow, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The man was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
At Inova Loudoun Hospital, officials said they have seen some patients come in with shoveling-related heart attacks and advised people to assist those who are elderly or have mobility issues and to reschedule doctor’s appointments, if possible, until the weather improves.
Although the snow has stopped, the freeze showed no signs of easing as the Washington region woke Monday to what could be one of the longest cold stretches in 65 years. The National Weather Service is forecasting five nights in a row with a low below 10 degrees this week, including a record threatening 5 degrees on Tuesday morning and an expected low of 6 degrees on Friday.
Much of the country has been hitby heavy snow, crippling ice and widespread power outages with locations across the Midwest and Plains breaking daily low temperature records. Forecasters are also monitoring the potential for another storm near the East Coast this weekend.
In the Washington region, the frigid temperatures and icy roads Monday kept people working from home, delayed Metro rail lines and bus systems and led officials to closethe Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery of Art’s outdoor ice rink.
“I put on three pairs of socks,” said Omar Ly, 25, who left his home in Silver Spring on Monday earlier than normal to make his 7:30 a.m. shift at a grocery store near the Friendship Heights Metro stop. The sidewalks around his home were mostly shoveled, but he had to maneuver crosswalks at stop lights with three-foot-high piles of snow.
“My boots were going down,” he said, “underneath the snow.”
In the D.C. region, the winter storm brought 3 to 7 inches of snow, 2 to 4 inches of sleet and, in some areas, a light glaze of freezing rain to top off that wintry mix. For the next week, highs will average in the 20s with nighttime temperatures frequently plummeting into single digits. This freezing stretch, which began over the weekend, could extend at least 11 days, matching the longest such streak since 1961.
It also means there is little chance of snow and ice melting, leaving the wintry disruptions to last much longer than typical.
The District remained in both a “state of emergency” and a “snow emergency” Monday, providing resources for people experiencing homelessness and mobilizing heavy plows throughout the city. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) also received support from the D.C. National Guard, which is controlled by the president, including providing vehicles to aid emergency responders.
Several D.C.-area school systems will remain closed Tuesday as temperatures could cause more refreezing on roads and sidewalks overnight. At least one district, Prince George’s County Public Schools, said it would close through Thursday. School officials consider a number of factors, including road conditions across the entire district, in deciding whether to hold classes.
As of Sunday night, almost all of the city’s 1,678 beds currently activated for individuals experiencing homelessness were full, said D.C. Department of Human Services Director Rachel Pierre. But with nighttime temperatures forecast to plunge into the single digits for days, Pierre emphasized that the city is positioned to expand and provide a bed and food to whoever needs it.
While the city’s hypothermia shelters are usually only open overnight, they are open 24/7 during the cold emergency. Those in need — or residents who notice a neighbor struggling — can call the shelter hotline at (202) 399-7093 or dial 311.
“We have the resources available to us to make sure that no one has to be outside,” Pierre said. “No one should be impacted by cold-weather injuries during this time, because they are preventable.”
Prince George’s County Executive Aisha N. Braveboy (D) said officials have extended select warming locations to operate 24/7, providing warmth for people without heat or those experiencing homelessness. Starting tomorrow, she said, seniors 70 and older and people with disabilities can call the county’s 311 system for help removing snow and ice.
Moving around the D.C. region has been complicated by snow and dangerously icy roads. While they work on clearing roads, officials across the region have urged people to avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary.
In the Northwest Washington neighborhood of Mount Pleasant around 12:30 Monday, the wheels of a white Toyota Corolla spun madly on a residential street thick with snow. The car didn’t budge. Three shovel-toting men appeared from the sidewalk and the rowhouses lining the street, with one, Richard Pully, calling out, “I think once you’re through to the main road, you should be good.”
They joined the driver in shoveling around the car, then helped push from the back. Finally the Toyota cut through the snow — only to get stuck again at the next intersection.
Pully, 38, ran ahead in a trapper hat and lace-up boots and helped dig the car out again. The driver reversed to try another route. Pully followed the Corolla to a one-way street, but when he got there, the driver was trying a desperately creative measure. He had another driver who was in an SUV slowly accelerate behind him, essentially pushing his car through the snow.
Maryland State Police had responded to nearly 1,400 calls for service since the start of the storm through 6 a.m. Monday, said spokesperson Elena Russo, who added that a majority were from people whose cars were stuck in the snow and ice.
Metro said Monday afternoon that all of its rail lines were running every 30 minutes due to weather. Many of Metro’s bus lines were not running — or were taking detours — due to the winter weather. Metro officials said they were working to prioritize providing bus service on a few routes which “provide access to hospitals and other life-sustaining facilities,” according to a statement.
Although the Washington region’s airports canceled most of their flights Sunday, they had mostly resumed by early afternoon Monday. However, delays remained and travelers were advised to check with their respective airlines.
FlightAware.com said Monday that as of 1 p.m., more than 3,800 flights around the U.S. were delayed. At the three airports in the D.C. region, more than 500 flights had been delayed or canceled by early afternoon.
In Arlington, which has fun names for its plows thanks to a local contest, the days have been busy for Beyonsleigh, Sleet Caroline and the Washington Snow Caps.
And Snowbrina Carpenter, as its namesake singer would say, will be working late, cause it’s a snowplow.
The more than 75 vehicle fleet in Arlington is only deployed once snowfall reaches two inches, said Katie O’Brien, a spokeswoman for the county’s Department of Environmental Services. The public is able to watch them work in real time through a website.
“Our crews have been out there working in 12 hour shifts since the beginning of the storm,” she said. “This is our way of being transparent and showing folks where we are in our process while adding a little levity.”
Lateshia Beachum, Karina Elwood and Teo Armus contributed to this report.
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