Washington-area residents, road crews and transit officials are bracing as Old Man Winter rears back to deliver the second major snowstorm of the season.
Grocery and hardware stores around the Washington area were jammed with shoppers Thursday as many prepared to hunker down for a long winter’s weekend, while many local schools announced they would not open Friday.
“Everybody buys milk, toilet paper, bread — the three essentials,” said Jesse Jordan, manager of a Bethesda Giant Food store, adding that business hadn’t been so busy since the Dec. 19 storm.
Just six weeks ago, almost 2 feet of snow buried much of Washington during the record December storm.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the Washington area, predicting 18 to 24 inches of snow starting around 10 a.m. Friday and persisting until Saturday evening. High winds are likely, and the most severe weather is expected Friday night.
“It’s just me and the baby this weekend, so I’m buying more than normal in case we get snowed in,” said Capitol Hill resident Elizabeth Brooks while pushing a full cart around a crowded Dupont Circle Whole Foods market. Whole Foods locations around the city were packed throughout the day, with long lines extending down store aisles.
» School districts: Alexandria, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County, Manassas
» Metro: All “above ground” services will likely be suspended late Friday, including Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess, according to officials. Metrorail can run above ground until the snow accumulation reaches 8 inches. » Southwest Airlines canceled all flights departing after 2 p.m. Friday at Dulles and Baltimore/Washington international airports. Flights will resume Sunday, weather permitting. » The Virginia General Assembly canceled all legislative activities scheduled for Friday.
Local hardware stores were similarly packed.
“We’ve been slammed today since 7:30 [a.m.],” said Craig Smith, manager of Strosniders Hardware in Bethesda. Smith said the store had sold out of snow shovels by 2 p.m.
And Cherrydale Hardware in Arlington sold out two shipments of snow shovels in a half-hour each time.
The forecast prompted local agencies to send out severe weather warnings.
Arlington County officials told residents to be prepared to “shelter in place” for up to five days with supplies of nonperishable food, flashlights and extra batteries.
“Conditions are going to fall apart Friday afternoon,” said Chris Strong, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“Conditions are going to fall apart Friday afternoon,” said Chris Strong, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The warnings for area drivers were predictably dire.
“This is the worst kind of storm in that it’s wet, it’s going to be heavy, and we’re going to have gusting winds of up to 30 miles per hour,” said Joan Morris, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Morris said despite her department’s full deployment of 1,800 vehicles and workers, most neighborhoods in Northern Virginia would not see snowplows until Monday.
While Maryland officials expected similar challenges, a spokeswoman with the D.C. transportation department said roads should be ready for commuters Monday morning, though she urged drivers to “keep off the streets” over the weekend.
