(Washington, DC) The DC Snow Team (Departments of Public Works and Transportation) will have more than 200 plows on District streets by 8 am. Snow is expected to fall during the morning rush hour and continue through Tuesday night. The high Tuesday is 36F and the low 12F. The snow is expected to end around 9-11PM Tuesday. Wednesday’s high is 22F and the low is 19F.
“We expect to work at least two 12-hour shifts, possibly longer, since the forecast is for temperatures well below freezing,” said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr. “The operation began Monday when crews applied a solution of brine and beet juice to bridges, other elevated structures and challenging streets to reduce the possibility of ice forming.”
He added that once snow begins falling, the crews will spread salt until enough snow accumulates to require plowing.
DPW leaf/holiday tree collection crews are the backbone of the Snow Team and the collections schedule has been disrupted since November by the multiple deployments to fight snow and ice storms. This schedule delay also affects holiday tree and greenery collections, which began December 30. As a result of Tuesday’s deployment, leaf/holiday tree collections will be suspended until the roadways are passable. Residents whose trash and recyclables are collected by DPW may put their holiday trees and other greenery where their trash/recyclables are collected. DPW does not collect trash/recyclables/holiday trees from residences with four or more living units. These properties should have a private hauler handle their solid waste collections.
Winter Weather Safety and Preparedness Tips: Property owners are asked to treat their sidewalks with an abrasive such as non-clumping kitty litter, a deicer or rock salt. This snow season, the Snow Team is testing the effectiveness of pet-safe deicer on bridges with pedestrian sidewalks. Motorists are asked to clear all snow from the vehicle first then drive cautiously. Assist elderly or disabled neighbors with clearing their sidewalks. Also, for plow drivers’ safety, “Don’t crowd the plow.” Residents are encouraged to go to snow.dc.gov for updates before, during and after winter storms, and for tips to get one’s home and family prepared for inclement weather. Residents also may sign up at alert.dc.gov to receive emergency alerts and notifications from Alert DC.