bring on the snow!

I was out walking the District today. Nothing like an unplanned and unwanted snow day to kill any sort of momentum you have in the classroom. At least I won't have that pesky three-day weekend for Presidents' Day like I was planning! I just hate time off.

I was quite impressed with the snow removal capabilities in DC. The streets were cleared, including side roads and alleys. Sidewalks, for the most part, were also salted and shoveled. On my normal side of the Potomac, VDOT was a little slower to act, as usual. By the time I got up at 7, the temperature was already above freezing. Shoveling was a breeze today, as was getting the snow off windshields and whatnot.

I come home to find this message from the NWS:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE...SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS...THIS STORM IS LIKELY TO PRODUCE 12 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW IN THE WATCH AREA...WITH A GOOD CHANCE FOR LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OVER 20 INCHES.
* TIMING...SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATE MORNING FRIDAY...CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.
* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S FRIDAY. FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL BE 25 TO 30 DEGREES.
* WINDS...EAST 5 TO 10 MPH FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...BECOMING NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH SATURDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE SIMILAR TO THE DECEMBER 19TH STORM. PLAN FOR SUBSTANTIAL DISRUPTIONS TO TRAVEL FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

Oh, goody! If you work for VDOT, please go talk to someone in the snow removal department for the District. I'd really like to go to work next week. Judging by your efforts after December 19th, I'm not really confident you'll get the roads cleared before Punxsutawney Phil's six weeks of winter are up.

At least my camera still functions, and I can take some more pretty photos...