Snow worries - Washington, nearby states on dig-out duty
Source: Agencies |
February 8, 2010, Monday
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THE flakes had stopped falling, but residents of the United States capital of Washington and nearby states were faced yesterday with the prospect of digging out of more than 60 centimeters of snow in some areas.
Roads reopened but officials continued to warn residents that highways could be icy and treacherous.
Hundreds of thousands of people from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to Virginia were without power, left in the cold and possibly without a way to watch the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia, the sixth-largest US city, was virtually shut down with a record of nearly 72cm of snow.
The heavy, wet snow snapped tree limbs onto power lines and some roofs collapsed under the weight.
"I think it's fun," said 10-year-old Jayla Burgess in Arlington, Virginia. "The best part is throwing snowballs at my dad."
Hundreds crowded Dupont Circle in Washington, DC, for a snowball fight organized online. Skiers lapped the Reflecting Pool along the National Mall and others used the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a slope.
Washington took on a surreal, almost magical feel even though it was one of the worst blizzards in the city's history. The nearly 46cm recorded at Reagan National Airport was the fourth-highest storm total for the city. At Dulles International Airport, the record was shattered with 81cm.
"Right now it's like the Epcot Center version of Washington," said Mary Lord, 56, a DC resident for some 30 years.
US President Barack Obama called it "Snowmageddon." Even his motorcade - which featured SUVs instead of limousines - fell victim to the storm as a tree limb crashed onto a vehicle carrying media representatives. No one was injured.
At the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, soldiers' names were buried 16 rows deep, while higher up snow had settled into the letters so they stood out against the black background.
The wreaths of the World War II Memorial looked like giant white-frosted doughnuts. The big attraction at the Lincoln Memorial was not the nation's 16th president, but rather a snowman with eyes of copper pennies bearing Lincoln's likeness.
A group of four sophomores from George Washington University took pictures nearby.
"I'm from California. This is my first snow ever," said Megan McDonough, 19. "My parents called and asked if I had enough food."
The snow fell too quickly for crews to keep up, and officials begged residents to stay home. The hope was everyone could return to work today.
The usually traffic-snarled roads were mostly barren, save for some snow plows, fire trucks, ambulances and a few SUVs.
Carolyn Matuska loved the quiet during her morning run along Washington's National Mall.
"Oh - it's spectacular out," she said. "It's so beautiful. The temperature's perfect, it's quiet, there's nobody out, it's a beautiful day."
The ugly side of the snow led to thousands of wrecks. Only two people died - a father and son who were killed trying to help someone stuck on a highway in Virginia.
The snow comes less than two months after a December 19 storm dumped more than 40cm on Washington.
The National Weather Service said Washington had received more than 30cm of snow only 13 times since 1870. The heaviest on record was 70cm in January 1922.
The biggest snowfall for the Washington-Baltimore area is believed to have been in 1772, before official records were kept, when almost a meter fell, which George Washington and Thomas Jefferson penned in their diaries.
Roads reopened but officials continued to warn residents that highways could be icy and treacherous.
Hundreds of thousands of people from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to Virginia were without power, left in the cold and possibly without a way to watch the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia, the sixth-largest US city, was virtually shut down with a record of nearly 72cm of snow.
The heavy, wet snow snapped tree limbs onto power lines and some roofs collapsed under the weight.
"I think it's fun," said 10-year-old Jayla Burgess in Arlington, Virginia. "The best part is throwing snowballs at my dad."
Hundreds crowded Dupont Circle in Washington, DC, for a snowball fight organized online. Skiers lapped the Reflecting Pool along the National Mall and others used the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a slope.
Washington took on a surreal, almost magical feel even though it was one of the worst blizzards in the city's history. The nearly 46cm recorded at Reagan National Airport was the fourth-highest storm total for the city. At Dulles International Airport, the record was shattered with 81cm.
"Right now it's like the Epcot Center version of Washington," said Mary Lord, 56, a DC resident for some 30 years.
US President Barack Obama called it "Snowmageddon." Even his motorcade - which featured SUVs instead of limousines - fell victim to the storm as a tree limb crashed onto a vehicle carrying media representatives. No one was injured.
At the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, soldiers' names were buried 16 rows deep, while higher up snow had settled into the letters so they stood out against the black background.
The wreaths of the World War II Memorial looked like giant white-frosted doughnuts. The big attraction at the Lincoln Memorial was not the nation's 16th president, but rather a snowman with eyes of copper pennies bearing Lincoln's likeness.
A group of four sophomores from George Washington University took pictures nearby.
"I'm from California. This is my first snow ever," said Megan McDonough, 19. "My parents called and asked if I had enough food."
The snow fell too quickly for crews to keep up, and officials begged residents to stay home. The hope was everyone could return to work today.
The usually traffic-snarled roads were mostly barren, save for some snow plows, fire trucks, ambulances and a few SUVs.
Carolyn Matuska loved the quiet during her morning run along Washington's National Mall.
"Oh - it's spectacular out," she said. "It's so beautiful. The temperature's perfect, it's quiet, there's nobody out, it's a beautiful day."
The ugly side of the snow led to thousands of wrecks. Only two people died - a father and son who were killed trying to help someone stuck on a highway in Virginia.
The snow comes less than two months after a December 19 storm dumped more than 40cm on Washington.
The National Weather Service said Washington had received more than 30cm of snow only 13 times since 1870. The heaviest on record was 70cm in January 1922.
The biggest snowfall for the Washington-Baltimore area is believed to have been in 1772, before official records were kept, when almost a meter fell, which George Washington and Thomas Jefferson penned in their diaries.
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