District of Columbia residents are grappling with slow snow cleanup efforts as the city braces for another possible winter storm this weekend.
Many households are struggling to navigate side roads, alleys, and sidewalks that have yet to be cleared, over three days since Washington, D.C. was hit with historic sleet, snowfall, ice, and below-freezing temperatures. Snow ploughs are on the streets, but some residents are still unable to drive or access vehicles, as extreme weather conditions have hampered clearing efforts. Frigid temperatures are expected to linger through Monday, indicating residents have nearly a week left before the ice melts.
The city is preparing for more snowfall this weekend, although weather predictions remain uncertain.
Washington, D.C. residents grapple with poor road conditions caused by winter storm. (Credit: Graeme Jennings) 
Washington, D.C. residents grapple with poor road conditions caused by winter storm. (Credit: Graeme Jennings) 
Washington, D.C. residents grapple with poor road conditions caused by winter storm. (Credit: Graeme Jennings) 
Washington, D.C. residents grapple with poor road conditions caused by winter storm. (Credit: Graeme Jennings) 
Washington, D.C. residents grapple with poor road conditions caused by winter storm. (Credit: Graeme Jennings) 
Washington, D.C. residents grapple with poor road conditions caused by winter storm. (Credit: Graeme Jennings)
7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan said the guidance models she’s looking at keep “the storm system offshore.” Fox5 DC Meteorologist Mike Thomas said Wednesday that the district could receive lighter snows, but areas to the east would be harder hit.
Mayor Muriel Bowser announced public schools would be closed for the third day in a row on Wednesday. And officials announced that the snow emergency had been extended through Thursday morning. Bowser has reiterated shelter options for homeless people and reminded property owners again this week that they are responsible for clearing their sidewalks.
On Tuesday, Bowser highlighted efforts to clear the roads, but asked for patience due to conditions she said are making it difficult to plow. Even streets that have been plowed are struggling, as “plowbergs” several feet high are often left behind, impeding pedestrians and trapping parked cars.
The district has hundreds of plows in operation, in addition to newly added heavy equipment, including dump trucks, front loaders, bobcats, and contractor plows to break up and haul thousands of tons of ice and snow, the D.C. Department of Public Works told the Washington Examiner. Between 50 and 70 staff are using a street-level mapping tool to flag priority segments and areas of greater need, which are then relayed to an operations team for additional plowing and treatment, according to the city.
D.C. councilwoman Brooke Pinto said that many of those plows broke, causing delays in getting the snow cleared.
“This winter storm was complex, and our response tactics have had to evolve,” Bowser said in a statement to X. “Ice, sleet, and snow — combined with persistent, below-freezing temperatures — have made clearing efforts particularly difficult. Most main roads in DC are now passable. Side and residential roads are our focus.”
But frustration is building with the city government.
Chef Matthew Adler, who runs Northwest Washington restaurant Cucina Morini, noted snowplows have yet to hit nearby back streets and said conditions have cut his business in half.
“We really need the city to step up and take care of the rest of the streets again,” he told the Washington Post. “You know, I give them grace. I know people are out there working hard, and it’s not an easy job by any means, but we have to. I mean, we’re the nation’s capital.”
And some political candidates are seeking to capitalize on the matter ahead of the 2026 elections. Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George, who is running to succeed Bowser as mayor, highlighted slow clean-up efforts Wednesday, saying that “DC deserves a government that works.”
“Crews are now working overnight to clear our residential streets, because many were missed (you aren’t imagining this!),” she said in a statement to X. “I am still investigating other issues, like city contractors missing roads. On top of everything, trash pickup is expected to be delayed.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
