The National Weather Service (NSW) is forecasting a wintry mix of rain and sleet in the early hours of Thursday, November 14, leading into the morning commute. Mayor Bowser has directed the DC Snow Team to begin a partial deployment consisting of 123 plows tonight at midnight to pretreat primary, secondary, and National Highway System routes around the District with rock salt. Residents and motorists can register to receive important weather alerts from the District on their devices by signing up for AlertDC at alertdc.dc.gov.
To prepare for the possibility of overnight snow that might affect the morning commute, residents are encouraged to follow the tips below:
- Take Metro as an alternative to driving.
- If driving, do so cautiously and maintain safe speeds and distances from other vehicles.
- Keep a safe distance from emergency and snow vehicles and use caution when attempting to pass a snowplow. Give the drivers plenty of room to safely do their jobs.
- Be aware of hazardous road conditions, particularly black ice which can be deceptive in appearance and give the driver a false sense of security on the road.
- Drive and walk carefully on bridges, ramps, and other elevated structures which can freeze before the roadway.
The DC Snow Team encourages residents and commercial property owners to apply abrasives such as rock salt, de-icer, or non-clumping kitty litter to the sidewalks around their properties to reduce the possibility of icing and to prevent slips and falls.
For more information about DC’s snow program and preparing for winter weather, or to see where District Snow Team plows are working, go to snow.dc.gov. To stay informed about weather conditions and how District services are affected, follow the accounts listed below on social media.
