Media Contacts

John Lisle, DDOT, (202) 486-5838
Linda Grant, (202) 671-2375

(Washington, DC) The day after Christmas, the District’s Snow Team is deployed in full to combat the first major snow storm of the 2010–2011 winter season. Crews from the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Department of Transportation (DDOT) are now servicing routes across the city, salting and preparing to plow major thoroughfares as well as residential streets.

“Time and time again, over the past 4 years, these men and women have answered the call for their city,” said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, “and this holiday weekend they are selflessly back on duty again to ensure our streets are passable and the District remains open for business.”

A Winter Storm Warning is currently in effect with forecasts anticipating several inches of snow will fall on the District between now and early Monday morning.

“Going into this weekend, the forecast was very unpredictable,” said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr., “As a result we had our crews on alert. We were ready for multiple scenarios, from just a dusting to the significant snowfall we are now expecting.”

DDOT and DPW began deploying crews Saturday and now have a full complement of personnel and approximately 200 pieces of equipment deployed for snow removal.

“This could be the first significant test for some of the changes we made following the last record-setting snow season,” said DDOT Director Gabe Klein. “We’ve enhanced our training program for drivers; we’re pre-treating more residential streets; we’re implemented a ward-based management and field reporting system; and we’ve got more plows we can bring in if we need them.”

District residents are reminded they can track the progress of the snow crews online at snowmap.dc.gov. Also, for the first time, data from the city’s Roadway Weather Information System (RWIS) is publicly available. RWIS provides information about weather and roadway conditions from locations across the City.

Residents and travelers are reminded to:

• Drive only if it is absolutely necessary.
• If you must drive, use extreme caution and maintain safe speeds and distances from other vehicles.
• Remember to keep a safe distance from emergency and snow vehicles and please use caution when attempting to pass a snowplow. Give the drivers plenty of room to safely do their jobs.
• Clear sidewalks of snow and ice within 24 hours of the end of a snow/ice storm.
• Help elderly or disabled neighbors remove snow from steps and sidewalks.

For more information about the District’s snow and ice control plan, visit DDOT’s website at ddot.dc.gov or DPW’s website at dpw.dc.gov. You can also follow us on Twitter.com @DDOTDC  or @DCDPW  for regular updates on road conditions and snow removal efforts.

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