The National Weather Service’s snow spotters reported accumulations of 11.5 in (29.2 cms) in Capitol Heights, Maryland and 10 in (25.4 cms) Rose Hill, Virginia by Monday afternoon. According to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, snow accumulations of 6.7 inches (17 cmimeters) were reported. Further south, 12.1 inches (30.7 cmimeters), was reported in Chancellorsville Virginia.
It was foggy and balmy yesterday, and then it snowed 6 inches this morning, just 12 hours later. Shawn Devroude (52), a federal worker, said that it was something he had never seen before. He braved the snowy conditions in Washington to play at the Naval Memorial with MoJo, his border collie of 9 years.
Washington was forced to close due to heavy snowfall and closings due the coronavirus epidemic. The COVID-19 epidemic had caused four Smithsonian museums to close in December. On Monday, the National Zoo announced that it would also close because of the snow.
Travel was made difficult by strong wind gusts and snowfalls at speeds of up to 1 to 2 inches (22.5 to 5 cms) an hour. Virginia’s state police responded to over 600 traffic accidents. This included a crash involving six tractor-trailers. The crash resulted in no injuries for the state police.
Muriel Bowser, D.C. Mayor, declared a snow emergency. Residents were advised to stay at home.
She said, “Keep off the roads and let our crews work.”
After spending approximately a week in Delaware, President Joe Biden returned to Washington slowly. Biden was unable to fly his helicopter due to snow, so he drove slowly from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, to the White House. It took almost an hour. Although the White House Press Briefing was cancelled, Biden’s other public events continued.
According to FlightAware.com’s misery maps, more than half of the flights were cancelled or delayed Monday at Washington’s three main airports. 25% of flights from New York’s three main airports were also delayed or cancelled. New Jersey’s southern half was covered in snow, with a total of 0.3 meters of snow near Atlantic City.
Andrea Klein, a 23-year-old graduate student at Georgetown University, was happy to see the snow after two weeks spent in quarantine after one of her roommates tested positive.
While taking photos of the National Mall, she stated that things have been feeling stressful lately. She said that it was nice to return to normalcy by walking around in the snow with her friends.
Weather conditions caused many COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites to be closed in D.C. and Virginia, as well as Maryland. Multiple school districts across the region said that they would close, delay or offer virtual learning Monday.
Karla Rivas is originally from Miami, but now lives in Baltimore. She experienced her first ever winter storm.
She said, “I love it.” “It’s wonderful to have the seasons,” she said.
Some parts of the country also experienced a snowy start for the new year.
Oregon and Western Washington were experiencing a mixture of rain and snow. Heavy snow, gusty winds and drifts caused some closures to mountain passes and highways.
Florida was greeted by a snowstorm, with temperatures plummeting in Panhandle areas after a typical Sunday of beach weather.
Blount County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Marian O’Briant stated that a tree that fell on a cabin near the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee killed a 7-year old girl. After heavy, wet snowfall overnight, she said that many trees and power lines had fallen across Blount County. Nobody else was hurt. Officials didn’t release any additional information.
According to state police, a 55-year old man from Delaware died when his car crashed into a tree and ran off the road. The accident occurred Monday morning while it was raining. Master Cpl. Heather Pepper stated that investigators are still trying to determine if weather played a role in the crash.
North Alabama saw snow accumulations of up to 6 inches (15 cm) in the form of snow. Authorities reported that multiple roads were blocked by icy spots and wrecks.
Virginia State Police warns that any snow melting during the day will freeze and cause dangerous conditions on roads. Schools in Virginia have announced that they will close again Tuesday, according to some districts.
The Virginia Department of Transportation has confirmed that both directions of I-95 have been shut down as of Tuesday morning. They are between Ruther Glen in Virginia in Caroline County and exit 152 in Dumfries in Prince William County. Drivers were left stranded for hours after a crash that involved six tractor trailers Monday afternoon. There were no injuries.
