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.