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District Snow Team Readies for Snowfall

Friday, December 15, 2017

(WASHINGTON, DC) – With a Winter Weather Advisory in effect between 1 pm and 7 pm for most of the Washington metro area, more than 200 DC Snow Team trucks began pretreating all District routes with rock salt beginning at 10 am. All routes are expected to be completed by 3:30 pm, ahead of the evening commute. Residents can register to receive important weather alerts from the District on their devices by signing up for AlertDC at alertdc.dc.gov.

The DC Snow Team advises pedestrians and motorists to heed the following safety tips:

  • Keep a safe distance from emergency and snow vehicles and use caution when attempting to pass a snowplow – give drivers plenty of room to safely do their jobs.
  • Take Metro as an alternative to driving.
  • Drive cautiously and maintain safe speeds and distances from other vehicles.
  • Drive carefully on bridges, ramps, and other elevated structures which can freeze before the roadway.
  • Before a snow event, residents and commercial property owners should apply abrasives such as rock salt, de-icer, or non-clumping kitty litter to the sidewalks around their properties to reduce the possibility of icing and to prevent slips and falls.

Hypothermia Alert

The District will activate the Hypothermia Alert Friday evening at 7 pm. Hypothermia alerts are activated when the National Weather Service forecasted temperature, including wind chill, is or will be 32° F or below. Under a new policy implemented by the Bowser Administration and the Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Department of Human Services (DHS) will also call an overnight hypothermia alert when the temperature is forecasted to be 40° F or below and the forecasted chance of precipitation is fifty percent or greater.

Services available during a Hypothermia Alert include:

Access to Additional Shelter: When low-barrier shelters in the District begin to reach capacity while an alert is activated, the District opens Hypothermia Shelters in recreation centers and other public buildings to ensure there are warm, safe places for anyone experiencing homelessness. Tonight’s Hypothermia Shelters will be activated in the following locations:

  • King Greenleaf Recreation Center
  • Sherwood Recreation Center
  • Banneker Recreation Center
  • Kennedy Recreation Center
  • Emery Recreation Center
  • Salvation Army
  • Community of Christ Church
  • New Covenant Church
  • Sacred Heart Church
  • CCNV Drop in Center
  • CCNV Women's Overflow Shelter

Transportation to Warmth and Safety: Free transportation to shelter is provided to anyone experiencing homelessness in the District during a Hypothermia Alert. To request transportation to shelter for people in Washington, DC who are experiencing homelessness, contact the Shelter Hotline by calling (202) 399-7093 or 311. Please include the time, address or location of the person, and a description of the person’s appearance.

Increased Outreach: DHS will amplify outreach efforts during the weekend to raise awareness about the availability of Hypothermia Shelters.

Families seeking emergency shelter can also visit the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center at 920 Rhode Island Avenue, NE on Monday through Thursday, 8 am - 4:30 pm and Fridays, 8 am - 12:30 pm. Families may also call the Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or 311 at any time day or night.

Additional Service Changes

Residents should expect slight delays with their leaf collections, as leaf collection crews also work as part of the DC Snow Team.

Snow Removal

Property owners – residential and commercial – are reminded that they are required to remove snow from their sidewalks within the first eight hours of daylight after a snow event ends. Residents who are homeowners and live in their own homes and are age 65 or older and/or living with a disability may be eligible for an exemption from this requirement. For further information about the exemption process and to receive an application or for information about other services, residents can call 311.

Throughout the year, Serve DC – The Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism, has compiled a list of senior citizens and residents with access and functional needs who will need assistance with snow removal after a snow event. Residents interested in assisting with snow removal can join the DC Resident Snow Team at snowteam.dc.gov or by calling (202) 727-7925.

The District’s Snow Team is committed to a quick completion of plowing and salting along major roads and residential streets, which in turn means a more faster return to normal traffic flow and earlier resumption of trash collection and other city services. Residents concerned about the treatment or plowing of specific roads should call the Citywide Call Center by dialing 311. For more information about DC’s snow program and preparing for winter weather, or to see where District Snow Team plows are working, go to snow.dc.gov. To stay informed about weather conditions and how District services are affected, follow the accounts listed below on social media.