Okay…I am hoping that if you live in the area, or watched the news across the country, you know that DC received close to 16″ of snow between Friday noon and 5 PM today.
Shopping
Making trips to the local supermarket were fun. Not really to buy anything, but to see how barren the shelves were. I don’t recall any shelf clearing storms when I lived in Upstate NY, but then again, they had enough snow removal equipment and trained staff that rarely was there ever several inches of loose pack on the roads so no need to panic.
No Metro
With public transportation above ground cancelled from Friday 11 PM, through Saturday, and perhaps Sunday too, lots of residents are stranded. Those brave enough to attempt the digging of their car out if they got to a main road were able to drive with relative ease on hard packed show which has thankfully not turned to ice….yet. I did notice a car stuck in the middle of Riggs St between 16th and 17th NW, and off New Hampshire near Dupont Circle a fallen tree. The weight of the snow was so great that it became uprooted and landed on a few cars. One had a shattered rear window, another a dented trunk. This was certainly caused by the weight of the snow on the branches, but also do to the shallow and small root base of a tree planted between the sidewalk and the road.
Sunday and Beyond?
Tomorrow is a new day. I was supposed to Volunteer at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, but was called and emailed that the museum will be closed again.
I am supposed to work in the evening at my part time job…since it is retail, I do expect to be open, though was very shocked to hear that we were closed today. I do understand it was hard to get employees in, but there was definitely money to be made, especially when many stores were closed. Since I can easily walk to a metro station and the train travels below ground all the way, would not have any trouble getting in to work and will have to see what happens tomorrow. I do enjoy the time off, but since I am owing taxes this year, need all the hours I can get before 4/15/10!! :)
Cabin Fever
After watching several movies, I needed to get out. I attempted to sled down 16th Street on the hard packed snow, but the cookie sheet, ikea bag, and laundry basket did not work very well. I was envious of those with sleds and snowboards, but who knew we would get so much snow, and where would one even get a sled in the area when show is so unlikely. Had Amazon delivered today, I would have ordered a sled online.
Even though I did not get down to Dupont Circle for the 2 pm snowball fight, I did get to heave a few at my roommate while my partner was taking photos of the beautiful snow covered city. It was very nice to stroll down the roads and not hear so much vehicle traffic for a change. I also was able to make several snow angels.
On the way back up the 16th Street hill to the apartment, we strolled through Meridian Hill Park. This multi level park turned out to be a hot spot for sledders and large laminated city signs make good sleds :) Steps were early transformed by sleds into hills and the landings between the sets of steps made a fun ride down at a safe speed.
Largest Annual Snow Accumulation?
We are tied with 1920-1921 at the moment at 44″, and only 12″ away from the largest recorded snow fall in DC!!!! With another storm on the way, this seems quite possible.