Between three and five — let’s call it four — inches of snow fell in the area Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Follow The Penguin’s hourly coverage of it all.
10:10 a.m. Heavy flurries are falling outside Penguin corporate headquarters. Ironically, Penguin climate-control engineers have the heat cranked up inside the office, bringing the ambient temperature to a balmy 78 degrees. Time to break out the shorts and tee shirt!
10:38 a.m. Dry air from the radiator + no potable water in the office = one very ashy Penguin. And the heavy flurries continue to fall outside.
11:14 a.m. A thin layer of slush is building on the roadways, though the familiar sssscrape of aluminum snow shovel on sidewalk is noticeably absent. Traffic leading into the Blair Plaza parking lot is crawling, as are the self-checkout lines inside the Giant supermarket.
12:04 p.m. The flurries don’t look so bad, so I’m thinking of grabbing a donut or cupcake or something at the coffee shop. That Boca chick’n sandwich I had for lunch was a little on the salty side.
1:50 p.m. The flurries have subsided, but those sidewalks are slippery! Look out for the usual slick spots: The brick sidewalk along Colesville Road near NOAA, the corner gas station at Colesville and East-West Highway, and anything on a hill. At least the sidewalks at the Metro station are crunchy with rock salt.
3:19 p.m. Here comes the snow again — big, lumpy flakes. If you plan on being home in time for tonight’s episode of “The Bionic Woman”, leave work NOW.
4:10 p.m. WMATA reports delays on all train lines due to slick track conditions. Expect delays on the way home.
If you’ve got a commuter nightmare to share, we want to hear from you. Hit us with the full 411 in the “Holler Back” section below. And if you’ve got Flickr photos or YouTube video of today’s snow, send us a link.
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It took me roughly two hours to go from Silver Spring to the Dulles Toll Road. Shoulda stayed at home.
Took me and hour and a half to get from Silver Spring to Rockville on Viers Mill this morning. Ugh…It had better not be that bad on the way home.
It took me three hours from George Town Pike this morning. I’m guessing four hours to get home tonight. Why is is that people can’t drive when the roads are wet or snow is present. I’m from the north and we drive 70 mphs in worse weather.
I wish people would be more considerate and shovel the sidewalk outside their homes/businesses. One of the reasons that the area shuts down after an inch of snow falls to the ground is that it becomes very difficult and unsafe for a pedestrian to walk around. How can someone with a stroller or a shopping cart get around the area if people don’t take the time to shovel. The Exxon gas station on Colesville and East-West Highway is a prime example of a business that just does not take the time to shovel the snow off the sidewalk. Year after year I have to contend with their neglect to shovel the snow and ice. This morning was no exception. People use that sidewalk to get to the Metro, to the Giant supermarket, etc. It is bad enough to deal with the crazy drivers on the roads but how can the average pedestrian feel safe walking around when they also have to worry about slipping and falling on the snow and ice?
SSped – I give your post a big AMEN! I’ve been cursing that particular corner Exxon for over a decade now. I have gone in andtalk to their manager – always get the “oh, were we supposed to shovel?!” surprised, incredulous look. Ridiculous.