WASHINGTON — As snow fell across the region during rush hour Wednesday, major roadways were at a standstill. Many frustrated commuters took to social media and other mediums to air their grievances.
Below are some of the tweets, Facebook posts and audio messages collected by WTOP about the hellish commute, which lasted more than six hours for some people.
Who better to tell their stories than the people who experienced it themselves?
In a SnapChat video, Arlington resident Samantha Ziegler documented her seven-mile commute on I-66 that lasted six hours.
Other motorists took to Twitter asking where snow plows and salt trucks were, and why local highway officials weren’t prepared for the snow and icy conditions.
Irate driver on 395south stuck in traffic 4 hours and still going @WTOP #VDOT #DC pic.twitter.com/oNBglgqrv5 — Lori Montenegro (@lorimontenegro) January 21, 2016
@WTOP is #VDOT ever going to show up on the northbound side with salt trucks to help southbound traffic? — Lori Montenegro (@lorimontenegro) January 21, 2016
@WTOP 4 salt trucks #VDOT show up In HOV Lanes road 395S 12:55 am traffic still not moving pic.twitter.com/SORtYRz4Hk — Lori Montenegro (@lorimontenegro) January 21, 2016
@WTOP @capitalweather Super scary commute. What happened to road treatment? pic.twitter.com/WsCsBLc2xx — Sarah Miller Bate (@Smillerbate) January 21, 2016
@WTOP @WTOPtraffic This cannot be right…I have not moved in 4 hours!!! Where are the snow trucks??????
— Laima Bashir (@lalagak) January 21, 2016
@WTOP 3.5 hours from DC to Potomac. Tons of accidents. Not one road pretreated, not one @MDOTNews or @VaDOTNOVA truck seen #failtown — Omid Jahanbin (@omidify) January 21, 2016
@GovernorVA & @VaDOT did a great job w/ the 1″ storm, can’t wait to see how u handle 2′. U tax us to hell, but can’t treat roads? Cc: @WTOP — Chris G (@MrTweeterers) January 21, 2016
@WTOP absolutely unforgivable that Virginia did not pretreat roads yesterday. Wx service said up to an inch of snow. Why weren’t trucks out?
— Chris G (@MrTweeterers) January 21, 2016
@WTOP Why haven’t BW/Prkwy north and south bound been treated? — Tee Swann (@ChooseyLovah220) January 21, 2016
@WTOP WB 66 in arlington is not moving. Drivers have turned cars off. Not a salt truck in sight. — Susan Chiarolanzio (@SuzyC925) January 21, 2016
@WTOP 3.5 hours Bethesda -Bmore. No trucks!
— Lisa Ortiz (@LisaNoCultJam) January 21, 2016
Wow, so sorry for you! The lack of preparation is inexcusable. #dcsnow @WTOP @WTOPtraffic @fox5dc @capitalweather https://t.co/eqpYrFcHI4 — Kimberly A. Woodard (@BeingKimmie) January 21, 2016
@WTOP husband still at a dead stop 495 OL near Conn. Ave – where are the salt trucks? I guess they r supposed to spend the night on 495?
— Julie Millar (@jmillar1101) January 21, 2016
Hubby stuck on OL 495 over Georgia Ave since 8:00pm! Not moving. No EMS or Salt trucks anywhere. @mcfrsPIO @WTOP @capitalweather — Poli N (@realpoli) January 21, 2016
@WTOP @MDSHA my little sister is stuck in this because you guys, thanks #mdsha (not you WTOP thank you for the updates) — Matt Ellis (@MkyleEllis) January 21, 2016
I hope VDOT is proud of itself. Hope someone gets fired for this mess. @wtop — dubbleaa (@dubbleaa_) January 21, 2016
@VaDOTNOVA @VaDOT Think you can spare a truck to salt/treat 66W? Been between MM 74 and 73 for 5+ hours. Seen zero trucks on 66. @WTOP — MikeBurke4 (@meburke4) January 21, 2016
@WTOP 5 1/2 hours still not home. @MDOT failed 2 prepare the roads, shameful and dangerous. — Texdallasgirl0397 (@Texgirl0397) January 21, 2016
.@WTOP where were snow crews? Normally they’re staged for flurries for hours!! @MCDOTNow @FrederickCoMD @MDSHA …Off guard isn’t an excuse!
— Voting for Trump (@UberGrump) January 21, 2016
No roads treated. Early weather advisory. 2 hour commute to go 7 miles, and got rear-ended.@MontCo_Highways @WTOP @KathrynKJohnson @MDSHA — Renee Belisle (@ReneeMB27) January 21, 2016
@MontCo_Highways @WTOP @KathrynKJohnson @MDSHA not true… Old Georgetown road was not treated as of 30 min ago. Cars sliding all over
— Meghan Rodgers (@megrodgers23) January 21, 2016
@WTOP Scary 2mi drive GU to Palisades. @DCDPW pls salt MacArthur Blvd; slid out twice. My cracked wheel cover and abandoned car thanks you!
— Madeline Vitek (@MadelineVitek) January 21, 2016
@WTOP Have not seen any plows/spreaders on 66E or 66W for several hours. 66W is stopped. Pre-treating only works if you actually do it. — MikeBurke4 (@meburke4) January 21, 2016
@WTOP took me an extra half hour to go 1/4 mile up Telegraoh Road tonight in Alexandria. It was pure ice and no salt truck in sight. — Emily (@emily_chauncey) January 21, 2016
@wtop Took me 3 hours on major roads Bethesda to Silver Spring, and not one sand/salt truck. Roads not even pretreated. Outrageous! — Kathryn K Johnson (@KathrynKJohnson) January 21, 2016
If 1 inch of snow = disaster, what do 10 inches equal?? Ten times as many reasons not to pretreat? @WTOP sheesh. #snow #pretreat — brandon labonte (@vapilot75) January 21, 2016
@wtop over 3.5 hours to get from Annandale to Montclair. Whoever at @VaDOTNOVA decided to not pre-treat the roads needs to be fired. — Clyde Conklin (@cconklinjr) January 21, 2016
I would like to note of in the past 4 hours, there have been ZERO plows or road crews going down I-66 east. @WTOP @capitalweather — Richard Barnhill (@wolfpackwx) January 21, 2016
Many motorists vented about their hours-long commute home and the treacherous road conditions.
@WTOP traffic so bad I parked car and walked 6.2 miles home! From 495 to route one! — Jake Wilkins (@jakefrmstfarm3) January 21, 2016
Pileup of 6 cars and black ice all over. Bus at jackknife. 1 police car just arrived MD410 @WTOP pic.twitter.com/iLMiskobNc — BMWonders (@BMWonders) January 21, 2016
#WorstCommuteEver U/D: 3:30am Beltway movement. 3:55am Conn Av-Wisc Av-River Rd, conditions- fair and salted. 4:09am Home. @WTOP @mcfrsPIO — Rochelle Metzger (@RochelleReports) January 21, 2016
O/L I-495 btwn GA & Conn Av’s. Speed: 0 mph, Current time: 257am, Travel time: 7 hrs, ETA: sunrise. @WTOP @mcfrsPIO pic.twitter.com/rH89QVr7lc — Rochelle Metzger (@RochelleReports) January 21, 2016
@WTOP left College Park 1830hrs in Bethesda 0311! 37 more miles to get home! Had to get gas on E! pic.twitter.com/XjKROEVAZm — LuminoUSCowboy (@LuminoUSCowboy) January 21, 2016
O/L I-495 btwn GA & Conn Av’s. Speed: 0 mph, Current time: 257am, Travel time: 7 hrs, ETA: sunrise. @WTOP @mcfrsPIO pic.twitter.com/rH89QVr7lc — Rochelle Metzger (@RochelleReports) January 21, 2016
@mjakaitisWTOP @WTOP I got off of work after 8 and was driving on pure ice. It was hell on wheels. Driving slow prevented accidents. — Ranaldo Robinson 63 (@rrobinson1988) January 21, 2016
@WTOP we’ve moved about 2/4 mile in 4 hours!! Check the ice on the road!! pic.twitter.com/8oFC8sUzS9 — LuminoUSCowboy (@LuminoUSCowboy) January 21, 2016
Insane 2mph traffic at 11:15 pm on 395 S from DC to exit 5. Going on 5 hours! @WTOP @nbcwashington @capitalweather pic.twitter.com/fxhsSXB7tT — Michele Pyle (@heytweetthis) January 21, 2016
@FCHSBandAlumni @WTOP still sitting on 495 outer loop near Conn. Ave in MD home is Mclean, va – he said peeps r sleeping in their cars
— Julie Millar (@jmillar1101) January 21, 2016
@WTOP 16th/Patrick Henry area & hill at Washington/McKinley in Arlington is an icy mess. Several accidents.
— Alex Yoder (@AlexYoder) January 21, 2016
Help needed to direct the traffic at MD410 and Connecticut @WTOP Pls don’t run the red light for sitting traffic! pic.twitter.com/AmVP1M9lcG — BMWonders (@BMWonders) January 21, 2016
@WTOP @RideOnTransit – How about asking passengers stuck on EW Hwy and Cypress If we’re okay? I’m not. I need my blood thinner medication.
— Mimi J Kay (@MimiJKay) January 21, 2016
@WTOP entrance of 395 pic.twitter.com/GcSUStOJ42 — Mustafa Akhwand (@MAkhwand) January 21, 2016
Guys WALKING on 395, having a smoke, and moving faster than traffic. @nbcwashington @WTOP @capitalweather @PoPville pic.twitter.com/dfbUrp8pph
— 7Y Bus Fail (@7YFail) January 21, 2016
An hour later we’re still waiting on MD410 @WTOP pic.twitter.com/8VK8BplCr6 — BMWonders (@BMWonders) January 21, 2016
@WTOP 40 minutes Mark Center to Penrose taking 395 North. Pike is still bumper to bumper a quarter past 10. No salt, tons of black ice.
— GrandstandFan (@GrandstandFan) January 21, 2016
@WTOP It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to Woodbridge from Lorton which it normally takes about 20 minutes. — Jenny Li (@JennyLi399) January 21, 2016
@JennyLi399 @WTOP 4 hours from Arlington to Leesburg — Maxine (@Maxineiswaiting) January 21, 2016
@WTOP took 3 hours from Capitol Hill to Vienna tonight! What a mess. Arlington was horrendous.
— Ekrem Sarper (@english_guy_79) January 21, 2016
@WTOP Suitland parkway is a parking lot, not moving at all — Matt Foresta (@MattForesta) January 21, 2016
@WTOP 3.5 hours to get from Tyson’s to randallstown. Normal commute at 6pm is about 1.5.
— PhillyFan77 (@PhillyFan77) January 21, 2016
@WTOP two hours from NoMa to downtown Silver Spring — Jane Norman (@JaneNorman) January 21, 2016
.@WTOP I left my second job 2 hrs ago. I’ve gone a mile. #stuck in #Arlington #DCsnow
— Douglas Ullman, Jr. (@dullman82) January 21, 2016
@WTOP cap hill to Route 1 Alexandria 1.5 hours normally 20 mins #snowfail — Stacy Hickman (@pirateskigirl) January 21, 2016
@WTOP Almost three hours Alexandria to Silver Spring. Last 8 mi or so took an hour. Slippery – in low gear a lot. Happy be safe at home.
— Eva KL Miller (@evakl) January 21, 2016
@WTOP I left the Navy Yard at 830 and have gone three miles in two hours. Stand still on the BW Parkway. Thanks for the updates. — Ben Myers (@Myers_Benjamin1) January 21, 2016
@WTOP It took 3 hours to go from downtown to Tenleytown via Massachusetts and Wisconsin. Normally 30 minutes tops.
— Caleb Skeath (@calebskeath) January 21, 2016
@WTOP Georgetown to Logan Circle: 75 minutes #snowlock — Mullet Grrl (@mulletgrrl) January 21, 2016
@WTOP 3/12 hours from Fairfax to Fredericksburg.
— Josh McCormack (@mccormack_josh) January 21, 2016
Even President Obama’s motorcade was stuck in traffic last night —> https://t.co/poUIKsAFOG pic.twitter.com/yDBdjBee8l — NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) January 21, 2016
Been on beltway since 8pm myself. I am literally sitting at Georgia Ave NOT MOVING. Its been 6 HOURS!! Whats the deal?? @mcfrsPIO @WTOP
— Rochelle Metzger (@RochelleReports) January 21, 2016
While a majority of commuters took to social media to vent their frustrations, others reached out to thank good Samaritans and emergency personnel for helping stranded motorists.
“Thanks to US Army volunteer Good Samaritan Matthew from Mississippi for pulling me and Mustang Sally (and many others) out of the ditch we slid in about a mile from home tonight on icy, untreated Old Mt. Vernon Road in Alexandria!! Our Knight in Shining Red Pickup Truck!” – read one comment from “Mustang Sally” on WTOP’s live traffic blog.
Finally made it home at 2:27am, and after walking only about a mile❄️⛄️Thanks to all good samaritans out there @WTOP pic.twitter.com/r1KN185w2m — BMWonders (@BMWonders) January 21, 2016
@WTOP the VA Troopers Allen and Kramer who deserve a medal on 395S Close to pentagon. For helping drivers pic.twitter.com/Jo2Z2OWd2s
— Lori Montenegro (@lorimontenegro) January 21, 2016
@lorimontenegro @WTOP Here he is lone #VA TROOPER hero pushing cars one by one on 395S at 11:58pm and traffic nightmare continues… — Lori Montenegro (@lorimontenegro) January 21, 2016
I am going to get this officers name. He is a hero. Pushes cars one by one on 395S and f#VDOT a no show @WTOP pic.twitter.com/rC1yOfPAmX
— Lori Montenegro (@lorimontenegro) January 21, 2016
@WTOP a usual 27min commute took 6 hours, abandoning my car, and walking a mile to apartment. glebe and columbia pike area an icy mess — shannon marie (@niallthorans) January 21, 2016
@7YFail @WTOP @nbcwashington @capitalweather @PoPville Passengers get out and push people, your ride will come along shortly? Good luck yall
— PuddleFreak (@PuddleJones) January 21, 2016
