UPDATE : Mayor Bowser has declared the previously issued Snow Emergency has been extended until 7 AM Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
ORIGINAL: Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has declared a Snow Emergency in the District beginning at midnight on Monday, Jan. 3 until 7:00 p.m. the same day.
The Capital Weather Gang is predicting 3 to 6 inches of snow will fall in the District region. “When you wake up, there may not be much snow yet but a period of HEAVY snow seems likely between approx 7a-midday, [with] very low visilibity and rapid accumulation,” they tweeted Sunday at around 11 p.m. “Best bet: Stay home Monday AM,” they concluded.
The emergency will impact school re-opening, COVID-19 testing and test distribution, and holiday tree and garbage collection.
Return to School
“Safe Return” operations at DC Public Schools (DCPS) will shift one day. Families were supposed to collect rapid tests at schools on Monday, Jan 3; schools will now be closed. As a result, all the school testing stuff will shift one day. Instead of Monday, DCPS staff should report their COVID-19 test results before 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 4. DCPS students must now test on Wednesday, Jan 5. and upload results online at to dcps.dc.gov/safereturn by 4 p.m.
UPDATED: Families can pick up their rapid antigen test on Tuesday, January 4 between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. or on Wednesday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Pick up hours were shifted back one hour on Tuesday, from 1 p.m. to a 2 p.m. start time, to allow schools time to prepare.
Schools are scheduled to re-open on Thursday, Jan. 6.
COVID Test Pick-Up and Test Site Closures
Test Yourself DC at-home PCR tests and Test Yourself Express rapid tests will be available for pick-up on Monday, Jan. 3 from 2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (or until supplies run out) at four firehouses:
- Engine 4 at 2531 Sherman Ave NW
- Engine 8 at 1520 C St SE (near Payne Elementary)
- Engine 31 at 4930 Connecticut Ave NW
- Engine 33 is located at 101 Atlantic St SE
All other testing sites will be closed. Residents will still be able to drop off Test Yourself DC tests at drop boxes at libraries and recreation centers before 8:00 p.m.
Engines 4, 8, 31, and 33 will also accept Test Yourself DC drop-offs on Jan. 3 during the hours listed above.
District Agencies in Telework
District Government will operate in a telework posture for non-essential/non-emergency employees. Essential employees will report for duty as previously scheduled, unless otherwise directed. All in-person programming at DC Government agencies (including Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and DC Public Libraries) will be closed. Virtual appointments and online services will continue unless otherwise stated
Meal distribution sites at DCPS and DPR facilities will be closed.
Trash and Tree Collection
Trash, recycling, and Christmas tree collections will “slide” to the next day for the remainder of the week into Saturday. For example, households that normally receive trash/recycling collections on Monday will be serviced Tuesday.
No Parking on Snow Routes
Move your car! While the snow emergency is in effect, motorists may not park on snow emergency routes and vehicles parked on these routes may be towed. Find a map of the snow emergency routes at snow.dc.gov. To learn where a vehicle has been towed, call the Towed Vehicle Locator office at 202-541-6083, or go to http://dpw.dc.gov/service/locate-towed-vehicle.
Turn off your outdoor faucets! And don’t drive before clearing snow and ice from your car –including the rooftop. Flying snow is a safety hazard.
Keeping Paths Clear and Safe
Residents and commercial property owners to apply abrasives such as rock salt, deicer, or non-clumping kitty litter to the sidewalks around their properties prior to snowfall to reduce the possibility of icing and to prevent slips and falls. The Snow Team uses pet-friendly deicer on District pedestrian bridges.
Residential and commercial property owners are required to clear snow and ice from their sidewalks within the first eight hours of daylight following the end of the storm.
Through the Sidewalk Shoveling Exemption Program, qualified residents will be exempt from this requirement if they own and live in their own homes (single-family or apartment building with no more than three units) and are 65 years old or older and/or living with a disability. There’s still time: call 311 to apply by February 28, 2021, the deadline for this year.
Help those folks if you are able. Join Serve DC’s Volunteer Snow Team, which helps clear sidewalks for registered seniors who are 65 and older, and residents with access functionality needs. This year, Serve DC especially needs volunteers in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8. Volunteers can sign-up at servedc.galaxydigital.com.
The Snow Team is pre-treating and will remove snow at municipal buildings, first responder locations, hypothermia centers, homeless shelters, COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, and DC Public Schools.
Hypothermia Alert and Shelters
If you see someone outside in need of shelter or a welfare check, during freezing temperatures, call the Shelter Hotline at 202-399-7093, or dial 311. If there is an immediate risk to safety call 911. Transportation to shelter is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The District Snow Team will continue to monitor the weather forecast and adjust its response as necessary. For more information about DC’s snow program and preparing for winter weather, visit snow.dc.gov.
