January ’16 – Trail Condition: That time they predicted mind-boggling amounts of snow

[Steve O]

@PotomacCyclist 132620 wrote:

Back in the days of Snowmageddon, I got stuck in downtown DC. I thought Metro would be available, but they announced a surprise closure hours before there was any accumulation that day. However, there was still a lot of snow on trails and grassy areas from the storm a week before. There were no taxis at all in downtown DC. Very few private cars either. No Capital Bikeshare back then. (That would arrive later in the year.) If CaBi had been in place, I could have taken that. But as it was, I had no bike or car, Metro was closed and no taxis were available. So I walked back to Arlington.

That was definitely the most miserable commute I’ve ever had, one I don’t wish to repeat. So I won’t go anywhere that a Metro above-ground closure would strand me. At least now there is Capital Bikeshare. But even they have a policy of closing during some major weather events. It’s possible that they could shut down the entire system to keep people from biking around in the worst of the snowstorm. Don’t rely on CaBi during a blizzard because it may not be available.

Metro has changed policy since that storm I believe. They now continue to operate in the tunnels, so you can get from DC to the first 5 Orange Line stations. Trickier to S. Arlington, since trains either have to go above ground at Arlington Cemetery or across the Potomac. If WMATA were to install heaters like cities farther NE of here but can’t justify an entire above-ground system, those would be a couple of strategic spots to do so.

[PotomacCyclist]

I should have clarified that they only closed the above-ground tracks during Snowmageddon (I think). Either way, since I was heading to Pentagon City/Crystal City, the above-ground closures stranded me in downtown DC. It would be the same situation today if I were foolish enough to venture downtown this Friday.

I agree that above-ground heaters would be nice. But I think people would object to that expenditure when it would have such little use. It’s fairly rare that we get more than 6 inches of snow at a time in DC/Arlington. Actually, the federal DOT is now prohibiting WMATA from spending on anything other than safety improvements (and previously scheduled projects and general maintenance), because of the federal takeover of the safety oversight. (I think that policy is nonsense. They keep talking about zero tolerance of unsafe conditions on Metro, but everyone overlooks the near-daily deaths on the roads. That doesn’t seem to bother anyone, which is frankly bizarre to me.)

I think critics would say that the 14th St. Bridge heaters would only serve those traveling to the Pentagon/Pentagon City/Crystal City, because the Metro lines go above-ground again after Crystal City. While the heaters would benefit me, I wouldn’t be able to make a strong enough argument in favor of them, given how infrequently they would be needed. I’ll just stay in Arlington on Friday. Or maybe bike down to Alexandria briefly, if the snow isn’t too bad in the morning or early afternoon.

[bentbike33]

@Tim Kelley 132624 wrote:

TOOLCAT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV_5IcFyMEI

The video does not show it, but did the car coming up the ramp, whilst turning left, clip the second TOOLCAT as it crossed the IoD against the light?

[Tim Kelley]

@bentbike33 132655 wrote:

The video does not show it, but did the car coming up the ramp, whilst turning left, clip the second TOOLCAT as it crossed the IoD against the light?

No.

[PotomacCyclist]

So anyone here going to make an uneducated amateur guess on the snow totals? For Friday and Saturday, and possibly Sunday?

Based on nothing at all, I’ll say:

Fri. 8 inches
Sat. 7 inches
Sun. 2 inches

Weekend total: 17 inches

** This prediction is not based on any weather model or science at all, only a cursory glance at recent weather news articles. I have no idea if I will even be close. Maybe as close as I was to winning Powerball last week, which was not very close.

The winner of the prediction contest gets one free snowball on Saturday. Pick-up only.

[Emm]

I did my obligatory panic shopping over lunch today (yay telework). I now have sufficient cupcakes and nutella to survive until next week. For anyone who is putting it off, I’d recommend going sooner vs later. The shoppers on Route 1 was well stocked, but already packed. During the 2010 snow storms I couldn’t even leave my apartment for 3-4 days walking (longer driving), so if this is bad, I want to be prepared. If it’s just a rainstorm, then I just got head start on next weeks groceries

My snow bet:

Fri. 4 inches
Sat. 10 inches
Sun. 1 inche

Weekend total: 15 inches

[huskerdont]

We’ve got three nights booked at a ski resort, so I won’t be biking to work Friday. Pity since fresh snow is fun, but old, irregular, iced-up snow isn’t.

My predictions:

Friday: 4
Saturday: 8
Sunday: nil

[Tania]

Everything here in Merrifield is covered in snow (including side roads).

I made it home before the snow started. Any trail reports?

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Tania 132761 wrote:

Everything here in Merrifield is covered in snow (including side roads).

I made it home before the snow started. Any trail reports?

The W&OD is well-covered in the EFC area, but not yet slick. Bridges aren’t slick yet either, but I suspect they will become so. Will definitely be running studs tomorrow.

[cvcalhoun]

My wife tells me there was a 25-minute wait to check out at the Giant today.

[Arlingtonrider]

I was at REI. They still had a fat bike left.

[ginacico]

8:30 PM on the W&OD at Ohio / McKinley.

About an inch (I scraped my toe to the pavement, so you can see the depth). Only two sets of tire tracks. It’s a beautiful evening for a little snow ride, where are you guys?!?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10532[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]10533[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]10534[/ATTACH]

Just don’t drive anywhere. Cars are wiping out all over the neighborhood, and I-66 is a parking lot.

[jrenaut]

DC streets are BAD. Completely untreated, no plows near me, nothing. Going to be fun tomorrow. Be safe out there.

[DrP]

W&OD and bluemont were fine and nice to ride on at 6:30. Custis between Ballston and St Anne was good too. Roads, especially hills are bad. Fell twice due to slick conditions, but I wasn’t moving fast. Cars are nearly at a standstill, especially on hills. This was unexpected. Agree – tomorrow will be “fun for all.”

[PotomacCyclist]

25 traffic crashes reported in Northern Virginia tonight, 163 state-wide in Virginia.

http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/virginia/2016/01/20/100-accidents-reported-va-snow-creates-traffic-nightmare/79091316/

Expect everything to be a mess tomorrow morning. And on Friday. And Saturday. And Sunday.

[Author]

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