Another Winter Storm

I am beginning to think that this Winter will never end. Here on the evening of March 2nd, we are waiting for yet another winter storm, this one called Titan to slam into the DC area after midnight. The forecast is rather ominous, and the Metrobus system has already taken the step of shutting their system down for tomorrow. Once that first domino fell, the others began to quickly fall into place. The Federal Government announced that it would be closed about 2 hours later.

Local Weather Alert

Winter Storm Warning for Arlington/falls Church/alexandria, VA

From 12:00 AM EST, Mon., Mar 03, 2014 until 6:00 PM EST, Mon., Mar 03, 2014

Other affected areas: 

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District of Columbia, DC;  Prince Georges, MD;  Anne Arundel, MD;  Augusta, VA;  Rockingham, VA;  Greene, VA;  Madison, VA;  Culpeper, VA;  Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park, VA;  Fairfax, VA;  Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria, VA;  Southern Fauquier, VA;  Western Highland, VA;  Eastern Highland, VA;  Western Pendleton, WV;  Eastern Pendleton, WV

More

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Issued by The National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington, MD

Sun, Mar 2, 2014, 1:49 PM EST

WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM EST MONDAY...

* PRECIPITATION TYPE... FREEZING RAIN... SLEET... AND HEAVY SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS... UP TO ONE TENTH INCH OF ICE... THEN 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING... RAIN CHANGES TO FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT... THEN BECOMES HEAVY SNOW LATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH MONDAY.

* TEMPERATURES... DROPPING FROM THE LOWER 30S AROUND MIDNIGHT TO THE MID 20S LATE TONIGHT... THEN LOWER 20S MONDAY.

* WINDS... NORTH 10 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY.

* IMPACTS... HAZARDOUS TRAVEL DUE TO ICE AND SNOW OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY. BOTH THE MONDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON RUSH HOURS WILL BE AFFECTED. POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE COMBINATION OF ICE AND HEAVY SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS WINTER STORM WARNING IS FOR HEAVY SNOW... SLEET... AND FREEZING RAIN AND MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF ICE AND SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE POWER OUTAGES. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

This is a forecast that is probably the very worst for this area. The timing of the arrival for Titan would make the morning rush a bigger nightmare than normal, and this area knows from experience that storms during rush hours are the preludes to disaster.

With this forecast brooding over us today, I drove in to the townhouse office and picked up my laptop in order to work from home tomorrow. Sadly, since I am not a government worker, I do not get a day off and am expected to work my normal hours. At least I can work those hours from home tomorrow and avoid going out in the snow.

Everyone knows that Spring is less than a month away and I will be very glad to see it arrive!