Sure, the Weather Channel has decided to name this winter's biggest and baddest storms -- but what will we actually do about them when they get here?
D.C. Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh is holding a hearing today to figure that out.
The city, which is known for having trouble managing severe snowstorms, is bracing for a winter season that may be more intense than usual.
The Department of Public Works will present its current "Snow Removal Operations Plan." Last year, DPW created an aggressive snow plow deployment plan -- and then the region didn't get much snow.
But it's no time to get complacent, apparently. After last year's snow-drought, meteorologists are predicting that this year will see "above-average" levels of snow.
An El Niño pattern is developing in the Eastern Pacific Ocean that could set the stage for a winter with more snow than last year, said Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Tom Kierein. Granted, last year was fairly mild, but we all remember the year before that.
In the winter of 2009-2010, the region faced three blizzards that dumped more than a foot of snow each, shutting down local and federal governments -- and according to Cheh's office, left hundreds of thousands without power, and caused 4,000 vehicle accidents and several deaths.
Councilmember Cheh's hearing starts at 10:55 a.m. in Room 500 in the John A. Wilson Building. You can watch live here.
