Washington D.C. area plagued by blizzards and snow

Extreme winter weather a disruption for residents

Two major snow storms plagued the Mid-Atlantic region this month causing power outages, disruption to transportation routes, closing of public venues, collapsed roofs, and cancellation of government offices and schools.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric  Administration (NOAA) issued winter storm warnings with gale force winds for parts of the Northeast, and metro D.C. and winter snow fall totals surpassed historical annual records dating back over 100 years.

The DC region was still recovering from the record snowfall a week after the snowfall due to cool temperatures, deep snow-covered sidewalks, and traffic problems associated with snow-blocked lanes.

The problems created by "snowmaggedon" included a locking in of area residents due to an inability to drive, walk and in some cases stay warm because of the power outages.  During the snowstorm and for some time afterward, flights at local airports were cancelled, and both local and interstate driving conditions were bad to dangerous. Clean up of the snow caused further problems with reduced visibility around many intersections where the snow had been piled very high.

Complications arising from the snow included water damage experienced in residences, and in isolated incidents, snow-related deaths were reported.  Pepco, a power company in the Washington D.C., area reported thousands of power outages after the snow and in a Feb. 11 news release reported over 400,000 power restorations in its service areas.

For local businesses, especially grocery stores, an increase in business occurred due to the potential hazards posed by the storm. Some grocery retailers' employees were working overnight to keep up with demand. Also, many businesses selling shovels sold out before the second storm even began. This was due to ill preparedness for the storm and demand caused by the large amount of snowed in vehicles and pathways left over from the weekend's snowstorm.

For the Metropolitan D.C. area, these types of storms are relatively rare, especially within days of one another. According to the District of Columbia Government, the District alone has 1100 miles of roads and average snow fall is more than three times less than has been experienced this winter.

Some counties were better prepared than others. Snow removal for counties such as Fairfax took place in a priority order according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). This led to main roads and interstates being cleared first before smaller neighborhoods and neighborhood roads.