Snow Causes Traffic Problems Across (DC) Region....(WP)

[diamond14]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20100-2005Jan19.html

Snow Causes Traffic Problems Across Region

By Fred Barbash, Steven Ginsberg and Mark Stencel
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, January 19, 2005; 4:19 PM

-snips-

The region's first honest-to-goodness snowfall of the season arrived this morning, painting frozen highway surfaces with a slippery white coating that caught motorists by surprise, contributed to scores of accidents and prompted school systems, including the District's and Alexandria's, to close early. Traveling around the area was mayhem with scores of fender benders and dozens of cars skidding off the road or blocking traffic when they were unable to make it up hills....


The weather, in a city that quakes at flakes, also threatened to further complicate the coming and going of traffic in a downtown already locked down for the most secure inauguration -- perhaps the most secure anything -- in the history of the nation's capital. More than 100 square blocks of Washington will be closed for the inauguration, some starting this afternoon.

Many people are being encouraged to stay off the streets. The federal government has encouraged employees to work from home or leave early today because of the inaugural events and some of those who hadn't planned to do that reconsidered because of the storm.

Frederick County police and fire officials reported a multi-vehicle accident involving a propane tanker on I-270 near the Montgomery County line shortly before 11 a.m.....


Weather-related accidents made a mess of northbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Virginia. There were several reports of accidents along I-95 near the Beltway. In Spotsylvania County, near exits for Thornburg, a midday accident involving a snow plow and at least three other vehicles closed all of the northbound lanes.....


(note: sadly, that was our ONLY snowplow in Virginia....)....


ice-cold snow-covered bleachers, waiting for FAT-CAT asses....

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. hmmm another way to avoid demonstratiions

I hope some of these folks (the repukes) freeze

[Liberal Veteran]

2. God is punishing the repubs for their largesse....

...in this.

[deacon2]

5. Agreed

God is weighing in on the double dose of bullcrap from the coronation and the laughable "explanation" for the exit polls. Then there's Condi Rice, of course, Torquemada Gonzales, fried twinkies, double-knits, Free Republic...

[arcos]

3. Is mother nature planning to join the protests tomorrow?

:evilgrin:

[Cooley Hurd]

4. As much as I'd like Chimp's day to be ruined...

...I feel bad for the protesters, as well as anyone forced out into this weather because of the nitwit's inaugural.

Stay safe in VA!

[Blue Gardener]

10. The protesters will be okay

They're a lot tougher than wimpy-ass repugs.

[RobertSeattle]

6. Nature's Way...

It's nature's way of telling you something's wrong
It's nature's way of telling you in a song
It's nature's way of receiving you
It's nature's way of retrieving you
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong

It's nature's way of telling you, summer breeze
It's nature's way of telling you, dying trees
It's nature's way of receiving you
It's nature's way of retrieving you
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong
It's nature's way, it's nature's way
It's nature's way, it's nature's way

It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong
It's nature's way of telling you
In a song, oh-h

It's nature's way of receiving you
It's nature's way
It's nature's way of retrieving you
It's nature's way
It's nature's way of telling you
Something's wrong, something's wrong, something's wrong

[orleans]

11. spirit!

great album, great song

lyrics so true

[Fovea]

23. Oh no, something went wrong. Well

they're much too fat, and a little too long.
Whoa oh got too much to do, better
get on back to the Animal Zoo."

The chubby little puggy attendees, that is...

[TahitiNut]

7. Well, you know the old saying: "It'll be a cold day in Hell ..."

:evilgrin:

[Sequoia]

8. I hope they have a blizzard tomorrow

like the one that hit Reno, CA.

[flordehinojos]

9. could God be talking to the bush family through His use of NATURE?

[lanlady]

12. 'fraid the snow is over

It was nice while it lasted. The government shut down today at 1 pm sending everyone home early. Parking garages and streets were being shut /blocked in the middle of the snowstorm for tomorrow's coronation. I'm glad I don't drive to work! We were all in a great mood on the Virginia commuter train, though because the govt is shut tomorrow too, and a lot of folks are taking Friday off. For once Boy King did something for the common man, however unintended.

[struggle4progress]

24. Too bad ....

<snip> DCZ001-MDZ004>007-009>011-013-014-VAZ042-052>054-200400-
ANNE ARUNDEL MD-ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA VA-CARROLL MD-
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DC-FAIRFAX VA-FREDERICK MD-HARFORD MD-HOWARD MD-
LOUDOUN VA-MONTGOMERY MD-NORTHERN BALTIMORE MD-PRINCE GEORGES MD-
PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK VA-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE MD-
819 PM EST WED JAN 19 2005

.NOW...

A FEW LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS
THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON METRO AREAS...HOWEVER NO ADDITIONAL
ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. SECONDARY ROADS MAY REMAIN SLICK IN SOME
LOCATIONS FROM SNOW WHICH FELL THIS AFTERNOON. MOTORISTS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION...USING AN INCREASED
FOLLOWING DISTANCE AND REDUCED SPEED. <snip>

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/LWX/NOWLWX


Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. North wind between 10 and 15 mph.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/ifps/MapClick.php?site=lwx&CiTemplate=1&FcstType=text&MapType=0&MapType=3&site=lwx&CiTemplate=1&map.x=261&map.y=115

[renegade000]

13. took me 1.5 hours to go 4-5 miles on I-295

tonight...

total it took 2.5 hours to get from the Naval Research Lab to my home in Arlington...and I suspect I got off lucky

[leftchick]

14. All I Can Say Is....

GO SNOW! GO SNOW GO SNOW!

[AgadorSparticus]

15. i hope there is a blizzard tommorrow and the days after making

all those gluttonous parties a pain in the ass to go to. the $40 million still chaps my ass. i hope they all choke on their hors d'ovres.

[mrbassman03]

16. And remember, no umbrellas!

Hope the fat-cats have fun... maybe they can hire minorities to stand over them.

[Isere]

17. Hell

is freezing over!

[MiniMe]

18. What is really funny is that it is only 1" of snow.

Everything in the DC area grinds to a halt when the first flake hits. Unfortunately, it is supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow and then snow over the weekend. I really, really wanted to go over to Pennsylvania Ave today with a hose and turn it into a skating rink. Unfortunately, common sense got the better of me. I'd probably be sent to Guantanamo, LOL.

[Robbien]

19. One plow? Only one plow for a whole state?. . . Awed!

Can't turn a corner here in Chicago without bumbing into one. One plow? Geeze.

[MiniMe]

21. It was sarcasm,

yes, the area has more than one snowplow. But we don't get very much snow here so while the major highways are OK the side streets really suck. If we get a big snow (2 or 3 feet, which we get every few years) the area is completely shut down for a few days. They just can't deal with it.

[osaMABUSh]

20. When I lived in DC they reported 1/8" of snow on the radio !

Metro DC absolutely freaks over any snow. I worked near the Pentagon and any hint of snow sent the area in turmoil. I guess the thinking is that it is a Southern city but even though it gets Northern weather occasionally nobody is ready for it.

Anyway, as far as the Inaugural goes, this weather is absolutely great. Four years ago it was a cold rain and now this. Tomorrow to be cold and windy but probably no more snow.

The protesters will thrive in this conditions while the pampered repukes will run off to their SUVs to warm up and then to some 'inaugural ball' to catch a glimpse of The Commander in Thief

[Virginian]

26. The traffic is so bad here and they don't slow down for snow.

I used to drive in the stuff without any problems, but now, there are so many fools on the road, I am afraid of being hit or run off the road when they discover they can't stop.

I respect the weather. I was a passenger in a weather related fender bender when I was 17. The road was a sheet of Ice. Stopping distance was about a block. My date strarted braking a half a block away from two cars that had already bumped into one another. We joined their little bump and dent party.

Drivers are crazy here. I was coming home really late from work one night -- about 2 am. In the left lane of the beltway, the car in front of me decided to stop. No, his car wasn't having problems; He was reading a map! He came to a complete stop in the left hand (55 mph) lane before pulling off to the left shoulder. There seem to be more of those idiots on the road when the Republicans are in power and they drive BMWs and other expensive cars.

[CatholicEdHead]

22. Rained the first time

so snow the second time? What does this foretel?

[jbnow]

25. Snow is good but

I am sort of hoping the weather angels will supply a record rainfall for January during that time...with the temp just above freezing. A cold downpour, a "I've never seen anything like this" kind. Snow can be pretty, icy January rain is not.

As soon as it is over it can stop. (but resume every time bush goes back outside)

When I wrote the subject line "snow is good" I then thought "but ice is nice" and lines of Frost's Fire and Ice came to mind..

But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.