A week full of wintry weather is wrapping up with inches more snow Friday and dangerous cold Saturday.
Steady snow started falling in parts of the D.C. area overnight, and road conditions were slippery or slick before sunrise, leading many school districts to announce closures on Friday morning. Some school districts have also canceled Saturday activities.
Steady snow that moved in early Friday morning moved in the afternoon but was followed by a line of squalls that continued to dump snow in some areas between 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
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Storm Team4 declared a Weather Alert, and a winter storm warning was issued for parts of Montgomery and Frederick counties in Maryland and Loudoun County in Virginia. The rest of the D.C. area was under a winter weather advisory until 7 p.m. Go here for all weather alerts.
Snowfall totals: How much snow have DC, Maryland and Virginia gotten?
Weather Stories
D.C. got 3.7 inches of snow, Manassas got 3.1 inches, Herndon saw 4.7 inches, Bowie had 4 inches, and some areas to the north and west surpassed 5 inches.
Tracking messy road conditions, delays on Metro and at airports
Metro said it's operating under a "moderate snow plan." Some bus routes were canceled, and others may take detours. Here's a full list. Check changes to Metrobus on busETA and Metrorail on MetroPulse.
Even on major roads, travel times were slow because drivers took it easy, as they should, First4 Traffic Reporter Melissa Mollet said. If you need to drive, go slow and give yourself plenty of space to stop on slick roads. Remember to give plows space. Plow trackers let you follow their routes in Maryland and Virginia.
Crashes were reported on southbound I-270 near Montrose Road, the Inner Loop of the Beltway after the BW Parkway and northbound Branch Avenue near Suitland Parkway.
The northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, from the Capital Beltway (I-495) to Spout Run, was closed for hours but reopened by 6 p.m. The National Park Service had announced it would close the parkway during winter weather so crews could adequately treat the road even while it's undergoing major construction.
Near Georgia Avenue and Heathfield Road, a crash involving several vehicles blocked some lanes, Montgomery County fire department spokesperson Pete Piringer said.
Road crews were out Thursday night to prepare the roads for snow, and salt also remained on roads and sidewalks from the snow we got Monday and Tuesday.
D.C. extended its snow emergency through Sunday. The Snow Team was sent to put salt on emergency routes but said that "residential and side streets are already pretreated due to the amount of brine and salt spread during the snow event earlier this week."
Reagan National Airport lifted a ground stop due to snow or ice by 8:30 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Travelers using DCA and Dulles International Airport are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
School closures, delays return Friday
Several school systems announced snow days and delays for Friday. Closures announced Thursday evening included public schools in D.C.; Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County, Virginia, and Montgomery, Prince George's and Frederick County, Maryland. See the full list of school closures here.
Federal agencies in the D.C. area opened two hours late, the Office of Personnel Management said.
For some kids, Thursday might have been their only school day this week. After the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday, snow days were called Tuesday and Wednesday for some school systems, while others had delays.
National Zoo closes
The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute announced that it would close on Friday due to the inclement weather.
It was the second time this week that the zoo closed due to snow. The first closures came on Monday and Tuesday.
Thankfully, the zoo shared photos of animals with "snow-covered snoots" for would-be visitors in need of a wildlife fix.
Volunteers help shovel sidewalks in DC
As snow piles up, it’s important to keep your sidewalks clear. In the District, law states that home and business owners are responsible for clearing their sidewalks after the snowfall ends. But for people who can’t clear their own walkways due to age or medical conditions, the District has teams of volunteers ready to help.
Residents can contact Serve DC to request a team of volunteers to come clear their sidewalks. And if you're looking to help out, Serve DC is asking for volunteers.
You can get help or volunteer online here or by calling 202-727-7925.
