Region Prepares For Snowy Conditions On Roads, In Air

By Matt Bush and Michael Pope

The Friday afternoon rush hour in Montgomery County, Maryland got off to an early start, as motorists packed gas stations and supermarkets. Starting at 10 p.m. tonight, county snow plows will fill up the roads. Keith Compton is with Montgomery County's department of transportation..

"We plan to be out until we're cleaned up and finished, and that looks like it will be until Sunday evening," says Keith Compton, with Montgomery County's department of transportation.

Compton says they will focus on major roads first. "Typically our major roads are Norbeck Road, Randolph Road, Montrose Road, Fairland Road," says Compton.

Compton says they don't expect to have major roads fully cleared until noon tomorrow.

At Reagan National Airport, some commuters spent the afternoon closely watching television news reports about weather. Others were finishing last minute holiday shopping along the main concourse. A children's choir from Carl Sandburg Middle School sang Christmas carols, and information desk volunteer Margaret Corletti says the airport has a stockpile of blankets and pillows ready.

"Because we want to make them comfortable while they are here and we're awfully sorry that they've been stranded," says Corletti.

Traveler Kristina Eddy says she doesn't spend much time worrying about the weather. "My theory is that once I get on the plane, it's completely out of my hands," says Eddy. "So there's no reason to worry about it."

Airport staffers say they're doing everything they can to prepare.