After the recent Winter Storm Fern, many residents in the Washington, D.C. area are understandably upset as nearly twenty schools remain closed because the roads are still buried in snow.
Last week’s blizzard caused significant disruptions, leaving Virginia covered in ice while Washington, D.C. and Maryland were overwhelmed by snow—marking the first significant snowfall since January. It’s surprising, really; the southern part of the Mid-Atlantic hadn’t seen snowfall for a while, so local authorities have been working hard to clear the roads.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser humorously referred to the stubborn leftover sleet as “snowcrete,” highlighting just how tough it is to clear away.
In response, she mentioned that the city is using the RFK Stadium campus and Carter Theater Amphitheater as makeshift dumping sites for the snow.
On Monday, public schools across the DMV area, including all public charter schools in D.C., opted for closures or delayed openings.
Montgomery County Public Schools addressed the situation on their website, acknowledging that while conditions aren’t ideal, many roads and sidewalks remain inaccessible for buses and unsafe for students walking. They noted that snow piles from plowing present visibility issues for buses and complicate lane changes and turns.
Frustration is also palpable on Capitol Hill, where significant Congressional negotiations for a spending bill to fund ICE are stalled, due to Democrats protesting recent shootings in Minneapolis.
According to a senior Republican congressional aide, some Democrats are “quietly seething” as the cleanup continues to lag.
A wry comment from a senior Republican aide highlighted the irony: “Democrats are concerned about the wrong ice,” referring to funding debates regarding ICE amid the crisis.
During a press conference on Monday, Bowser revealed that D.C. officials are looking into up to four fatalities linked to the harsh cold.
Meanwhile, New York City isn’t faring much better.
The severe weather there has led to a rising death toll of 16, with trash accumulating on the streets and heavy snowfall creating never-ending traffic jams.
