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(WASHINGTON, DC) – With the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasting two to four inches of snow in the District this weekend, beginning sometime Saturday afternoon and continuing into Sunday, Mayor Bowser has deployed the DC Snow Team to begin pretreatment of roads. On Thursday, January 10, the Snow Team began treating National Highway System roads with liquid brine, and the Mayor has ordered the deployment of more than 200 trucks to pretreat all District roads on Saturday, January 12. The DC Snow Team will continue its deployment through Sunday evening, treating and plowing roads as necessary. Residents and motorists can register to receive important weather alerts from the District on their devices by signing up for AlertDC at alertdc.dc.gov.
Despite the continuation of the partial government shutdown, the National Park Service will be bringing in personnel to cover the network of roads, sidewalks and pathways under the responsibility of the federal agency, as is their normal snow plan.
The DC Snow Team encourages residents and commercial property owners to apply abrasives such as rock salt, de-icer, or non-clumping kitty litter to the sidewalks around their properties to reduce the possibility of icing and to prevent slips and falls. After the storm, property owners are also asked to shovel their sidewalks.
Mayor Bowser is committed to a quick completion of plowing and salting along major roads and residential streets, which in turn means a faster return to normal traffic flow and earlier resumption of trash collection and other city services. To report any concerns, residents should call the Citywide Call Center by dialing 311.
For more information about DC’s snow program and preparing for winter weather, or to see where District Snow Team plows are working, go to snow.dc.gov. Ongoing updates are also posted on the social media accounts of the Department of Public Works (DPW): Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The District has activated the Hypothermia Alert and the alert will stay activated throughout the weekend. Hypothermia alerts are activated when the NWS forecasted temperature, including wind chill, is or will be 32° F or below; or, when the temperature is forecasted to be 40° F or below, and the forecasted chance of precipitation is 50 percent or greater.
Low-Barrier shelters for individuals operate year-round and will be open 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. If a Hypothermia Alert is issued, all shelters are open all day and will remain open during the extent of the Hypothermia Alert.
Men
Women
Seasonal shelters are open daily from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., November 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019.
Women
Co-Ed
Hypothermia shelters are open from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. any time a Hypothermia Alert is called, except in recreation centers, where, due to previously scheduled programming, the shelter opens at 9:00 p.m.
Men
Women
Transportation to Warmth and Safety: Free transportation to shelter is provided to anyone experiencing homelessness in the District during a Hypothermia Alert. To request transportation to shelter for people in Washington, DC who are experiencing homelessness, contact the Shelter Hotline by calling (202) 399-7093 or 311. Please include the time, address or location of the person, and a description of the person’s appearance.
Increased Outreach: The Department of Human Services (DHS) will amplify outreach efforts during the weekend to raise awareness about the availability of Hypothermia Shelters.
Families seeking emergency shelter can also visit the Virginia Williams Family Resource Center at 920 Rhode Island Avenue, NE on Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Families may also call the Shelter Hotline at (202) 399-7093 or 311 at any time day or night.
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