WASHINGTON — It’s not even Halloween yet, but snow plows are already patrolling the streets of Washington.
The Department of Public Works is testing the snow plows now to make sure the equipment works and is ready for when the snow does begin to fall this winter.
“We are getting ready for our snow season, even though it is my prediction that it’s not going to snow,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser jested with workers Friday at the Farragut Salt Dome ahead of the test drives.
The workers shouted back that they want the snow.
The region got plenty of it last winter, with some places seeing feet of snow during a massive January blizzard.
Last season’s snowfall has impacted the way D.C. is planning for snow this year, Chris Shorter, D.C. Department of Public Works director, told WTOP.
“If we get another large blizzard, then we will certainly be prepared in a way that we were not coming into last season,” he said.
Some of the changes include better tracking of snow plows so residents and local stakeholders can reliably see if a plow has recently passed, either to remove snow or lay down brine and salt.
“That was a big complaint last year,” DDOT director Leif Dormsjo said. “The automatic vehicle locator system hadn’t been upgraded in, I think, over 10 years, so there has been a lot of technical advances.”
The department will also have replacement or backup snow plows at the ready, should the city need them.
“If we have a situation where our vehicles go down, we will be able to quickly pull new vehicles into the operation,” Shorter said.
Residents can take a look at the plow tracker map here.
Bowser touted the city’s quick and proficient response to last January’s big blizzard storm, including getting the District reopened sooner than other parts of the region.
But that wasn’t the case just days before that blizzard, when a small winter weather event left people stranded on the roads for hours, turning a normal trip home into a seemingly apocalyptic evening rush hour.
To correct that, Bowser said the National Weather Service will be doing more to help local governments.
“They’re going to get those forecasts out to us earlier so that all of the jurisdictions can prepare for snow events that might start during the workday,” Bowser told WTOP.
She said regardless of the type of weather the District may see, she has one priority.
“Washington, D.C., will be a city that responds to snow and doesn’t shut down,” she said. “That’s our goal.”
