Snowfall of up to 10 inches on Saturday tested the capacity of area plows and tried the patience of weekend commuters.
D.C.-area transportation officials reported hundreds of spinouts and fender benders, often resulting in long delays on crowded streets and highways. Thousands of riders sat still in a nearly 5-mile backup on the outer loop of the Beltway in Maryland due in part to lightweight cars failing to make it up an uphill section of the freeway approaching Connecticut Avenue.
“And there was a lot more traffic compared to the December storm,” said Lora Rakowski, spokeswoman for the Maryland State Highway Administration. “When the forecast [in December] was for more snow, people made plans to stay home.”
Temperatures in the teens contributed to the problems as well.
“Salt still works, but it’s not as effective as it is in the higher 20s or the low 30s,” Rakowski said.
In Maryland, Virginia and the District, salt trucks and plows roamed the streets starting Saturday morning through the early hours of Sunday.
In Virginia, they plowed through the state budget, too, said a spokeswoman from the Virginia Department of Transportation.
“Locally in Northern Virginia, we had $27 million for the winter — through March,” said Joan Morris. “Even before this weekend’s storm, we’d spent $32 million.”
Morris said the state can tap into an emergency fund to cover Saturday’s storm and any future weather problems.
In Maryland, where counties are responsible for most local roads, Councilman Phil Andrews said that no budget shortage would keep them from clearing roads.
“It’s a very high priority — it’s public safety, access to work, access to community facilities,” Andrews said. “But it’s going to be a very large bill this year.”
So far, the D.C. metro area has seen an average of about 24 inches of snow, or more than 1 1/2 times that expected in a typical year.
Officials in the region said that major roads should be cleared in time for Monday morning’s rush hour.
