The National Weather Service issued an advisory for winter storms in the area. Wind gusts up to 35 mph (56 km/h), were forecast. Because of these hazardous conditions, travel was expected to be difficult.
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 caused in part by an increase in COVID-19-related cases. The COVID-19 epidemic had caused four Smithsonian museums to close in December. On Monday, the National Zoo, which is managed by Smithsonian, also announced that it would be closing for the day due to the snow.
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 about a week in Delaware and returning to Washington Monday, President Joe Biden returned slowly to Washington. However, he could have left Sunday to avoid the worst weather.
Biden’s helicopter was grounded by the snow, so he drove to the White House via Joint Base Andrews, suburban Maryland. It was a slow and tedious journey that took almost an hour. Although the White House Press Briefing was cancelled, Biden’s other public events were still being held.
According to FlightAware.com’s misery maps, more than half of the flights were cancelled or delayed Monday morning at Washington’s three main airports. 25% of flights from New York’s three main airports were also delayed or cancelled.
According to the Weather Prediction Center, 2 inches (5 cm) of snow could fall per hour in certain areas. Thunder snow is also possible.
Weather conditions caused many COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites to close in D.C. and Virginia, as well as Maryland. Multiple school districts across the region announced that they would close, delay or offer virtual learning Monday.
Brent Nussbaum, a Virginia resident, was driving in Falls Church when 6 inches of snow fell Monday morning. The snow weighed 6 inches and cracked his windshield. Nussbaum agreed that the drive was worth it to take his daughters and their friends to a great spot for sledding.
As the snow continued to fall heavily, the girls debated which sled was best for the conditions. Nussbaum suggested that younger children should get there earlier than the big kids do and then start descending the slope.
He said, “I don’t have to worry about their getting drilled.”
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.”
The National Weather Service issued a warning about a winter storm for Delaware, the Eastern Shore, and southern New Jersey. Snow accumulations are expected to be 6-12 inches (15-30 centimeters)
Schools and government offices in central Delaware and southern Delaware were closed while state courts across the state were closed.
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.
“Well, how does this explain a temperature shift? A post by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office on Monday morning stated that temperatures ranged from 75 degrees in the afternoon to snow at three o’clock in the morning.
A steeple was swept from the top of Cooper River Baptist Church, North Charleston, South Carolina by the storm. Firefighters responded to a call about a downed powerline and found the fiberglass steeple of the church in the road. There were no injuries.
Monday morning saw more than 500,000 customers without power as the winter storm warning extended across northern Alabama, southern Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia.
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.
