The threat of a major snowstorm blowing into the region caused a series of cancellations and delays for commuters on Wednesday, while setting them on edge for an even rougher slog on Thursday. One front fouled up the commute on Wednesday morning with slush on roads, sidewalks and rails. Commuters endured delays on both lines of the MARC commuter train and on Interstate 95. Metro had problems on the Red, Orange, Blue and Green lines, though not all were weather-related.
Then the federal government let workers go two hours early, bumping forward the evening rush. MARC canceled a train. Metro put extra trains on standby, and other agencies scrambled to get their vehicles out earlier.
Local transportation officials mobilized work crews to treat the roads, then plow them once the snow started to accumulate.
The region was under a winter storm warning until 4 a.m. Thursday, with the National Weather Service forecasting 6 to 10 inches.
Such a heavy dump of snow could immobilize roads and shut down a good part of Metro on Thursday. When the snow reaches 8 inches, Metrorail has to close all 39 aboveground and aerial stations, cutting off train access to much of the region’s suburbs. Snow can start to cover the third rail providing the electricity powering the trains, which causes the power to drop out and stall trains — as the agency learned the hard way in 2003. Riders had to be rescued, and almost three-quarters of the trains needed repairs after snow fouled up their motors. – Kytja Weir
