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Snow Blankets Washington Metro Region

February 3, 2010
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Washington Metro jurisdictions have used up snow removal budgets.
Kavitha Cardoza
Washington Metro jurisdictions have used up snow removal budgets.

By Kavitha Cardoza

Up to four inches of snow blanketed the Washington Metro region overnight. And while clearing the snow today is an inconvenience for many homeowners, it's a far bigger problem for area governments.

Robert Payne is shoveling snow just off Military Avenue in Northwest D.C. Snow capped cars stand parked just below sagging tree branches. It takes Payne approximately an hour to clear the sidewalk around his house.

He says he has a theory: "If I use a small shovel and make a small opening, nature will melt the rest of it! I don't go nuts."

While clearing the snow yourself doesn't cost you anything--except maybe lower back pain, that's not true for local governments. Even before this latest cleanup effort, Virginia and D.C. have used almost all of their snow removal budgets. Maryland was more than $10 million over budget.

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