The DC Snow Team will be pretreating the District’s primary, secondary and National Highway System routes this evening starting at 9 pm with anti-icing liquid brine in advance of Sunday’s forecasted rain and snow. The National Weather Service is forecasting a chance of snow and rain Sunday afternoon that could extend into Monday morning. In addition to the pre-storm anti-icing operation, the DC Snow Team will be monitoring the storm throughout the weekend and is prepared to treat roads with rock salt should it be necessary. Residents and motorists can register to receive important weather alerts from the District on their devices by signing up for AlertDC at alertdc.dc.gov.
“As we monitor model projections – some calling for a potential for up to six inches of snow – we are pre-treating our roads early to stay ahead of the storm, and can adjust our operations as necessary,” Mayor Bowser said.
This winter season the DC Snow Team has ramped up its use of brine as an anti-icing technique. Liquid brine, which is made up of water, salt, and beet juice, helps keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement and reduces the amount of time needed to remove snow from streets. Brine has also been shown to decrease the corrosion of infrastructure and helps to minimize impacts on our waterbodies.
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.
- Be aware of hazardous road conditions, particularly black ice which can be deceptive in appearance and give drivers a false sense of security on the road.
Hypothermia Alert
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. Current weather models are indicating that these conditions may be met during the overnight hours of Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Low-Barrier shelters for individuals operate year-round and will be open 5 pm to 9 am. If a Hypothermia Alert is issued, all shelters are open all day and will remain open during the extent of the Hypothermia Alert.
Men
- New York Avenue Shelter at 1355-57 New York Avenue, NE
- 801 East Shelter at 801 Making Life Better Lane, SE
- Adams Place Shelter 2210 Adams Place, NE
- Community for Creative Non Violence (CCNV) 425 Second Street, NW, Drop In Center (Open only during Hypothermia Alert)
Women
- Nativity Shelter at 6010 Georgia Avenue, NW (Opens at 7 PM)
- Harriet Tubman, DC General Building at 27 1900 Massachusetts Avenue, SE
- Patricia Handy Place for Women at 810 5th Street, NW
- Community for Creative Non Violence 425 Second Street, NW-2 South
Seasonal Shelters are open daily from 9 pm to 7 am November 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018.
Women
- King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N Street, SW
Co-Ed
- Emery Recreation Center, 5801 Georgia Avenue, NW
Hypothermia Shelters are open from 7 pm to 7 am anytime a Hypothermia Alert is called, except in recreation centers, where, due to previously scheduled programming, the shelters open at 9 pm.
Men
- Sacred Heart Church at 16th Street and Park Road, NW
- Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV) at 425 Second Street, NW
- Salvation Army at 3335 Sherman Ave NW
- Banneker Recreation Center at 2500 Georgia Avenue, NW (Monday - Friday; 9 pm - 7 am)
- Kennedy Recreation Center at 1401 7th Street NW (Monday - Friday; 9 pm - 7 am)
Women
- New Covenant Baptist at 1301 W Street, SE
- Sherwood Recreation Center at 640 10th St, NE (Monday - Friday; 9 pm - 7 am)
- Community of Christ at 3526 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Families seeking emergency shelter can call the DC Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or 311 at any time day or night. When the DC Government is open, families may also visit the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center at 920 Rhode Island Avenue, NE, Monday - Thursday between 8 am and 4:30 pm and Friday between 8 am and 12:30 pm.
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.
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 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.