WASHINGTON – A burst of heavy snow at the height of the morning rush mixed with higher than expected accumulation set up the conditions for a disastrous Tuesday morning commute.
Instead of the predicted 1 to 2 inches of snow, closer to 4 to 6 inches fell throughout th region. And initial decisions to keep schools open contributed to heavy traffic volumes on the roads during the heaviest snowfall. Hundreds of accidents – including some involving students – further complicated efforts to clear roads.
public schools issued apologies for not delaying or closing school. And in were injured while trying to get to school.
Arlington and the Maryland State Highway Administration issued explanations regarding their efforts to clear roads, saying that the traffic volume and crashes聽on the roads made it difficult to plow the roads.
鈥淏ased on the weather forecasts, our crews anticipated a much milder snow event today,鈥� said Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan in a statement. 鈥淏y the time it was clear that frigid temperatures were causing hazardous conditions, thousands of commuters and parents driving聽kids to school were already on the move.鈥�
“This morning鈥檚 efforts to clear the snow primarily were impacted by the volume of traffic. Crews can also be delayed by crashes resulting from vehicles driving too fast for conditions.聽 Please put your safety and the safety of others ahead of the need to get where you鈥檙e going quickly by following the rules of the road,” the Maryland State Highway Administration said in a statement.
So snow, so slow. In Tenley and beyond.
— Dave Dildine (@Dildine海角精品黑料)
A similar scenario unfolded on Jan. 26, 2011 when a well-forecast storm dropped 3 to 8 inches of snow during the afternoon rush hour creating travel nightmares that collectively became known as “Carmageddon.”
Timing is everything when it comes to how Washington reacts to snow, says Dan聽Hofmann with the National Weather Service. “It was the worst possible time for snow, whether it was a quarter of an inch or four inches.”
“We knew there was going to be widespread snowfall and we knew the potential was there for some areas to pick up 3 to 5 inches. That is what happened right across the Washington D.C. metro area. If it had happened overnight… the impact presumably would have been a lot less.”
Drivers reported their normal commutes of 30 minutes took hours and some said it took them as long as three hours to make it into work.
Commuters encountered聽snow-covered roads on U.S. 50 in Maryland and on Route 28 in Virginia. Georgetown Pike was all-but shut down with cars littering the sides of the curvy, hilly road. of slide-offs, spin-outs and vehicles stuck in or on the sides of the snowy roads.
School buses were similarly ensnarled in the deeper-than-expected snow, taking much longer to arrive at their destinations.
鈥淎nytime a storm rolls through during rush hour, especially when it鈥檚 supposed to be minimal and the next thing you know, it becomes an overachiever like this seems to have become. 鈥淲ith the ice, the snow and the amount of traffic on the road, it made for a very challenging morning,鈥� says Lt. TJ Smith with Anne Arundel County police.
Although the snow has continued to taper off, the cold temperatures will remain聽聽making re-freezing slush and icy roads a concern as the sun sets.
鈥淲e just want to encourage people to not get on the roads if you don鈥檛 have to,鈥� says Smith. 鈥淛ust take your time. It鈥檚 going to take you much longer to get where you need to be today. And don鈥檛 rush to get there because if you do, that鈥檚 when problems can occur.”
海角精品黑料’s Dave Dildine and Megan Cloherty contributed to this report. Follow on Twitter and on .
