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February 08, 2010 - By AccuWeather.com Senior Expert Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski
A new snowstorm bringing the Plains and Midwest snow today will not miss New York City and southern New England and will hit areas from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia again.
The new storm is part of a duo of snowstorms this week that will touch the lives of over half the people of the nation. The new northern storm will affect much more real estate than the last with "plowable" snow.
Unfortunately this will be a colder storm than the last, delivering a snow that is much more subject to blowing and drifting for a longer period of time.
There is the potential for a foot of snow or more from Wilmington, Del. to Boston, Mass.
People should be prepared for slow or no travel as the storm intensifies upon nearing the Northeast coast Tuesday night into Wednesday. Schools will close, commerce will be impacted and accidents will occur.
Lower temperatures, strong winds and deep, powdery snow could make this the worst of the two storms even in areas that were hit hard with the last.
From a meteorological standpoint the prospect of two blizzards in less than a week for the same area is absolutely amazing!
In terms of a human factors, this one may bring life-threatening conditions to the homeless in the region. Shoveling snow in the extreme cold could pose serious health risks.
In terms of fiscal issues, this could be the storm that breaks the bank from small businesses to large cities, who must pay to remove the snow.
The amount of snow from the new storm will be less than this past weekend's monster in the Virginias and southwestern Pennsylvania. However, even if these areas receive a foot or a mere six inches it will cause serious problems.
Snowfall from the next storm Tuesday into Wednesday could make the 2009-2010 winter season the snowiest ever for many mid-Atlantic cities. If not, there is plenty of winter left to make that happen.
February 08, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Officials in Maryland and D.C. say main highways are passable as snow removal continues.
Maryland State Highway Administration spokeswoman Mariska Jordan said Monday that most of the state's interstates and main roads are drivable. Freezing temperatures, however, have left some roads icy.
In Washington a spokeswoman for the District Department of Transportation says cleanup is on schedule. The city tries to have main streets clear within 36 hours of the end of a storm. Department spokeswoman Karyn Le Blanc says they've met that goal.
The city tries to get residential streets clear within 60 hours after a storm. Le Blanc says efforts to get residential streets clear could be hampered by the fact more snow is expected Tuesday and crews will have to pre-treat roads for that storm.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Montgomery County, Maryland is among one of many counties in the region with several inches of snow.
Courtesy of: Elliot Francis
February 08, 2010 - WASHINGTON (AP) Rail travelers eager to leave the nation's capital before more snow hits are lining up at Union Station. Passengers boarded Amtrak trains Monday going to Boston and New York and other destinations.
WASHINGTON (AP) Transit systems in the Mid-Atlantic region are starting to come back to life after a blizzard over the weekend, but service is limited. Washington's Metrorail is limited to underground service and its buses are operating on a limited basis.
WASHINGTON (AP) Power crews are still working to restore electricity to thousands of customers in the mid-Atlantic. Pepco is reporting nearly 42,000 outages early today. Most of the affected customers are in Montgomery County, Md.
WASHINGTON (AP) Airports in the Washington region are working to get back to normal days after a blizzard dumped nearly 3 feet of snow in some parts of the area. Flights are expected to resume today at Reagan National Airport.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
February 08, 2010 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) With more snow in Maryland's forecast, state officials say it will be several days before they know how much battling the storm will end up costing. Work continued Monday just to dig out from the weekend's snowfall, which heaped more than 2 feet of snow on many parts of the state.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) The Maryland General Assembly is scheduled to return to duty after having a snow day due to the weekend storm. Alexandra Hughes, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Michael Busch, says the House of Delegates and Senate will follow the normal schedule with floor sessions starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
BALTIMORE (AP) Reggie Holmes and Dewayne Jackson each scored 25 points to lead Morgan State to a 94-68 victory over Florida A+M on Sunday. Holmes hit four 3-pointers and Jackson came off the bench to hit six from beyond the arc for the Bears, who are 6-0 at home this year.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
February 08, 2010 - RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Virginia's Senate has passed a bill that would write into law executive orders by the past two governors that ban bias in the state work force based on sexual orientation. Sen. Don McEachin's bill advanced from the Democratic-controlled Senate on a nearly party line vote of 23-17.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The Senate has passed a bill to ban talking on a cell phone while driving unless using a hands-free device. Sen. Thomas Norment's bill passed the Senate 25-15 Monday. It would phase in penalties for drivers who take their hands off the wheel to hold a cell phone.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Two stimulus grants totaling $21.5 million have been awarded to expand broadband infrastructure in Virginia. The matching grants were announced Monday by U.S. Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner and Reps. Tom Perriello and Rick Boucher.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Efforts to divert funds received from possible offshore drilling for oil and gas off Virginia's coast are moving forward in the General Assembly. The House passed a bill proposed by Gov. Bob McDonnell on Monday to divert 70 percent of the revenues to transportation, 20 percent to energy research and 10 percent to localities.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
February 08, 2010 - From the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority:
On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the Metrorail system will open at 5 a.m. with limited service and may close early depending on weather conditions as more snow and below-freezing temperatures are expected. Fifteen stations will remain closed due to heavy snow drifts on the tracks.
A combination of six- and eight-car trains will operate at 30-minute intervals and travel at maximum speeds of 35 miles per hour. Limited Metrobus service will begin at 5 a.m.
MetroAccess will operate limited service between 8 a.m. and noon Tuesday for customers whose trips are associated with life-sustaining medical needs such as chemotherapy and dialysis. After noon, MetroAccess will provide return-trips only to help get customers home.
Metrorail service for Tuesday morning (Feb. 9)
• Red Line Limited Service: Medical Center to Union Station and Glenmont to Forest Glen • Blue Line Limited Service: Franconia-Springfield to Stadium-Armory • Green Line Full Service: Greenbelt to Branch Avenue • Orange Line Full Service: Vienna to New Carrollton • Yellow Line Full Service: Huntington to Fort Totten
Metrorail stations that will remain closed on Tuesday include Shady Grove, Rockville, Twinbrook, White Flint, Grosvenor-Strathmore, New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U, Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood, Brookland-CUA, Silver Spring and Takoma Metrorail stations on the Red Line and Benning Road, Capitol Heights, Addison Road-Seat Pleasant, Morgan Boulevard and Largo Town Center Metrorail stations on the Blue Line all due to snow drifts on the tracks of three to six feet.
Approximately 75 percent of Metro parking spaces will be available for parking.
Rail customers are encouraged to use station elevators from the street level into and out of the stations as they are safer than escalators in this type of heavy snowfall.
February 08, 2010 - D.C. Public Schools will be closed Tuesday. Patrick Madden has more on how the district's government is getting ready for the next winter storm...
The District's Snow Command Center at the Reeves Center in Downtown D.C.
Courtesy of: Patrick Madden
February 08, 2010 - By Peter Granitz
As the D.C. area prepares for more winter weather, some residents are trying to clear snow from their homes before the next snow storm comes. The D.C. fire department is telling residents to stay off their roofs.
Flat roofs are more likely to collapse than pitched ones because the heavy, wet snow just sits on top. D.C. Fire and EMS personnel are telling people shoveling the snow off houses to lessen the load is actually more dangerous because it adds even more weight.
They're encouraging people to hire roofing contractors to remove the snow if necessary.
But in Ward Five's Trinidad neighborhood, LaNeise Lee is not heeding the advice. She says she always pays the same young man in the neighborhood to clear her roof.
Without a whole lot of room between her house and the fence, she holds an extended ladder at a pretty steep angle, while the young man throws the snow down below.
"It's an older house and a flat roof," she says. "Therefore preventative maintenance is better than having an eight-thousand to $10,000 bill (laughs) or more! Because it's all in your house now."
They tossed the snow into the abandoned lot next door. The fire department says people should shovel snow either onto their own property or into tree boxes on the streets.
February 08, 2010 - By Rebecca Blatt
Approximately 42,000 customers in the region are still without power after the weekend storm, and with more snow on the way, the area may face additional outages.
Michelle Peregoy, spokeswoman for Virginia's Department of Emergency, says to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed if the power goes out. A fridge can keep food safe for about 4 hours, and a full freezer will hold the temperature for about 48 hours.
Peregoy says it's not a good idea to try to keep food cool outside, even in low temperatures.
"On a sunny day when the sun hits that food it can just the radiation can warm up the food and can cause the temperature of the food to rise," she says.
Most importantly, Peregoy adds: When in doubt, throw it out.
February 08, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson
In Virginia, the weight of the snow caused a roof to collapse at a Falls Church fire station and more damage to another fire station just down the road.
A spokesperson for Fairfax County's fire department says the flat roofs on 37 fire stations have been checked and only these two fire stations so far have had trouble standing up to the snow.
Firefighters at the Bailey's Crossroads station awoke to a crashing sound a little after 3 o'clock this morning, the roof over the four vehicle bays in the station had caved in.
All the firefighters got out of the building without injury, and the department is still assessing damage to the vehicles stuck inside. Later in the morning a portion roof at the Annandale station was found to be sagging two inches under the weight of the snow.
Firefighters and vehicles have been moved out of that building. The department does not expect emergency response at either station to be affected.
Two feet of snow on a flat roof caused the roof to collapse on vehicle bays at the Bailey's Crossroads Fire Station in Virginia. No one was injured.
Courtesy of: Jonathan Wilson
February 08, 2010 - The National Weather Service has changed its previous winter storm watch to a winter storm warning to take effect at noon on Tuesday to 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
The NWS also increased its estimates of snow accumulation from 5 to 10 inches to 10 to 20 inches.
Near freezing temperatures expected Tuesday afternoon, dropping to the upper 20s Tuesday night and Wednesday.
The NWS warns that the snow and strong winds expected from this storm will make travel "very hazardous."
February 08, 2010 - MCHENRY, Md. (AP) The big snow is bringing big business to Maryland's only ski resort.
Lori Epp of the Wisp resort in McHenry said Monday the parking lot was full as visitors enjoyed the 36 inches of snow that fell over the weekend in far western Maryland.
She says the storm caused some late openings of chair lifts Saturday as resort workers struggled to get in. But all skiable terrain was open by Saturday night, and sales on Sunday were 12 percent above a year ago.
Epp says the forecast for more snow and continued cold weather this week bodes well for Presidents Day weekend business.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
February 08, 2010 - By Jonathan Wilson
Volunteers and staff at Carpenters Homeless Shelter in Alexandria, Virginia are working to make sure residents have a warm, safe place to stay during the winter weather.
Mary Martin is the deputy director of Carpenters shelter and she says without volunteers, the shelter couldn't have dealt with all the people in Alexandria looking for a place to stay this weekend.
Claire Burns is one of those volunteers. She braved a 45- minute walk through the snow to get to the shelter this morning. She says when you're helping a place like Carpenters, its easy to go the extra mile.
"Literally and figuratively," she says with a laugh.
But getting to the shelter isn't the only challenge. Lee Spears and Anthony Butler, both currently housed in Carpenters residential shelter, took turns with a shovel this morning digging Butler's car free from snow. Spears needs a ride to work its his first day on the job.
"If I don't make it in, they'll go with somebody else, and I need the job," Spears says.
The overnight shelter here serves about 25 people a night, but weather has pushed the occupancy to 40 for the past few nights.
February 08, 2010 - John Townsend of Triple AAA Mid-Atlantic talks with Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey about safety tips for drivers hitting the roads ravaged by the weekend's storm...
February 08, 2010 - FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) Some firefighters in Fairfax County didn't have to go very far to respond to a roof collapse overnight it was in their own firehouse.
County fire department spokesman Dan Schmidt says about 18 firefighters were asleep in their bunks at the Bailey's Crossroads station around 3 a.m. Monday when they were awakened by a crash. Schmidt says the roof over their engine bays had collapsed under more than two feet of snow.
Schmidt says everyone was able to get out safely, but the fire engine, fire truck and medic units inside were damaged.
He says emergency services continue in the area with increased staffing at nearby stations and a fire engine and ambulance are outside the station.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
February 08, 2010 - Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey checks up on the region's airports after the storm with Courtney Mickalonis of Reagan National Airport...
February 08, 2010 - From the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority:
Reagan National (DCA) Airport:
The airfield opened for flight operations at 10 AM today.
As flights operate today on a limited basis, passengers are advised to contact their airlines to confirm their flights BEFORE coming to the airport.
Passengers are urged not to come to DCA today unless your flight is confirmed.
If your flight was canceled, please call your airline's customer service telephone number or rebook through your airline's website.
As of this posting, Metrorail service was not operating to above-ground stations, including the Reagan National Airport Metro station. For information regarding Metrorail and bus service, click here.
Dulles International (IAD) Airport:
The airfield is open for aircraft operations today, although some flights may be canceled or delayed.
Passengers are advised to contact their airlines to confirm their flights BEFORE coming to the airport.
Passengers are urged not come to IAD today unless your flight is confirmed.
If your flight was canceled, please call your airline's customer service telephone number or re-book through your airline's website.
As of this posting, Metrorail service was not operating to above-ground stations, including the West Falls Church Metro. As a result, Washington Flyer Coach service from the West Falls Church Metro station to Dulles Airport remains suspended indefinitely. For information regarding Metrorail and Metro Bus service, click here.
Below are links to all of our airlines, including websites and contact numbers. In general during peak demand, service will be faster when using the website versus a phone call:
Airlines serving Reagan National Airport (DCA), click here
Airlines serving Dulles International Airport (IAD), click here
For a look at delays at major U.S. Airports as reported by the FAA, click here.
February 08, 2010 - For the next several months, reporter Jessica Gould will examine some of the major issues affecting public education throughout the National Capital region.
To begin, she speaks with Rod Paige, who ran the public schools in Houston, Texas before serving as the nation's Education Secretary under President George W. Bush.
Paige recently co-authored a new book called "The Black White Achievement Gap: Why Closing It Is The Greatest Civil Rights Issue Of Our Time..."
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige is the co-author of a new book: The Black-White Achievement Gap; Why Closing It Is The Greatest Civil Rights Issue of Our Time.
Courtesy of: AngelWorks
February 08, 2010 - In the second installment of "A Newcomer's Guide to Washington," WAMU's Rebecca Sheir sheds a little light on height...
February 08, 2010 - By Michael Pope
Faced with dramatically increasing enrollment numbers, School Board members in Alexandria, Virginia are considering a proposal that would place enrollment caps on the city's most popular schools.
Projections suggest Alexandria's enrollment will double in the next six years. That's why Superintendent Morton Sherman has proposed a short-term solution he's calling "modified open enrollment." The plan would cap enrollment at crowded schools and place additional students at neighboring facilities.
The policy would also allow parents to choose to send their children to any school in the district, on a first-come-first-serve basis, until classes are full. The School Board is set to consider the plan in the next two weeks.
February 08, 2010 - (Feb 9-Apr 4) DEMON BARBER On the heels of some horrific weather, Signature Theatre opens a horrific play. Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street arrives in Shirlington, Virginia tomorrow night, charming and terrorizing audiences through April 4th. Helen Hayes-award winning actor Sherri Edelen reprises the role of the love-struck Mrs. Lovett, who serves up tasty meat pies with a barber bent on revenge.
(February 5-28) CULTURE OF THE MIND The Montpelier Arts Center features the exhibit Culture of the Mind and Spirit, local artists who share their common heritage and local connections. There's a reception on Friday where audiences can meet the artists from 7 to 9 p.m.
(February 8) DRESSED TO DANCE DC's Corcoran Gallery hosts Dressed To Dance fashion show tonight at 7, showcasing the movement and music of Madrid, as dancers perform in costumes created by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and other contemporary Spanish fashionistas.
February 08, 2010 - By Mana Rabiee
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnel says he expects the state's HOV lanes will be cleared for this morning's rush hour -- but cautions that rural communities in Northern and Northwestern counties may remain under snow for much of the day.
The Governor says Virginia's Department of Transportation needs at least until this afternoon to clear all corners of the Northern and Northwest counties, including parts of Fairfax.
Some 500 members of the National Guard have been deployed to those areas. McDonnel says heavy snow plowing vehicles were sent in over the weekend as reinforcements -- for areas with the heaviest accumulation. "Right now the National Guard has about 25 active missions to go into the areas to help on any number of things from delivering supplies to picking up emergency personnel to bringing people to hospitals."
More than 100,000 residents were without power last night. McDonnell expects that number to rise as tree limbs give out under the weight of heavy snow that froze over night.
February 08, 2010 - By Peter Granitz
Montgomery County schools and services are closed today. But the county executive says all necessary workers will continue clearing roads and helping those without power.
Tens of thousands of people in Montgomery County are still without heat and electricity. Pepco says it's working to get people's power back. The county is running three warming shelters for people to come and warm up.
County Executive Isiah Leggett says he may open more, but that depends on how cold it gets and how quickly Pepco restores service. Besides, he says, the roads are still too dangerous to ride on.
"One of the problems we have is not actually the shelters, but getting people to the shelters. In many of the residential communities people simply cannot get out and it's much more dangerous to have them navigate that rather than stay in place," says Leggett.
Snow is packed down on many roads in the Maryland suburbs. Montgomery County says it has eight-hundred vehicles cleaning the roads.
February 08, 2010 - As economic barometers go. commercial construction is a good one. Workers make good money; the stuff they build tends to generate more money and jobs down the road.
Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports.
February 08, 2010 - Morning Edition host Matt McCleskey talks with Karyn LeBlanc with D.C.'s Department of Transportation about clearing the roads after the weekend's major storm and the anticipation of another one on the way.
February 08, 2010 - From the Maryland Reporter website:
We've got updates on what's open, what's closed (the general assembly is) and what the cleanup might cost. But there's much more on sex offender laws, wine shipment and unemployment taxes.
SNOWMAGEDDON: The weather dominated weekend coverage. We’ll give you some highlights from across the state right here. Check out this page at The Baltimore Sun for a running update on what’s open and closed, and how the state is digging out.
For one thing, the general assembly is closed due to icy conditions, The Associated Press reports. Annie Linskey at The Sun writes that it looks like this has never happened before.
It looks like the state has already busted its budget for snow removal, with more on the way, according to the Washington Examiner.
Frank Roylance had some great coverage for The Sun on his Maryland Weather blog, which you don’t see often on MarylandReporter.com. He reports that we might be digging out again on Wednesday. Roylance also had the hot story that BWI airport doesn’t have an official snowfall total, because a federal contractor messed up.
And what would the snow coverage be without some good video? The Diamondback has a video of a campus snowball fight. WJZ has lots of stuff, as do WMAR, Fox45 and WBAL.
Here’s the local scoop from Annapolis, Frederick, Westminster, Prince George’s County (and College Park), Hagerstown, Salisbury, Washington, D.C., and Rockville.
UNEMPLOYMENT: Nick Sohr of The Daily Record reports that Gov. Martin O’Malley’s plan to offer unemployment tax relief to businesses could be dead after several groups urged the state to try to conserve what money it has left in its strained benefits fund. Julie Bykowicz at The Sun had the story too.
WINE: Sen. Joan Carter Conway, the Baltimore City Democrat whose committee will review a proposal to allow direct shipment of wine to consumers, says the measure isn’t going anywhere this year, according to Julie Bykowicz at The Sun.
SEX OFFENDERS: Del. Norman Conway, a Salisbury Democrat, wants to raise the age definition for child sex victims from 13 to 15, and make it easier to track sex offenders, Greg Latshaw reports in The (Salisbury) Daily Times.
HISTORIC TAX CREDIT: The Sun’s editorial board says O’Malley’s plan to expand eligibility for the state’s historic rehab tax credit is a “bribe” for legislators, but an effective strategy to get the job done.
LIQUOR FEES: Meg Tully has the scoop in the Frederick News-Post about the county legislative delegation’s deliberation over proposed liquor license fee increases.
MONTGOMERY RACES: Patricia Murret writes in The Gazette about a brewing battle in Montgomery County for Sen. Jennie Forehand’s seat and how that will affect the House.
JUDGE PAY: The Maryland Judiciary won’t ask for a pay increases for judges, Steve Lash writes for The Daily Record. (The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee rejected the raise for judges Friday, MarylandReporter.com reported.)
WIND POWER: Del. Wendell Beitzel, R-Western Maryland, is pushing the state to standardize its regulations for wind turbines, Kevin Spradlin reports for the Cumberland Times-News.
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