My wife got kicked out of work today...

[brooklynite]

The Federal Government ordered everyone in Washington to go home because of a forecast for.....1/2 in of snow.

[MineralMan]

1. LOL!

And thus it is in our nation's capitol.

[at140]

2. No worries, she will get paid for full day

Tax payers will come through for her.

[Mme. Defarge]

3. Are they actually trying to be like

Portland?

[gratuitous]

5. Hey!

Portland doesn't shut down just because of a forecast for a half inch of snow! Portland shuts down if three snowflakes are sighted within a one hour window.

[Midnightwalk]

31. Snowflakes in Portland?!?

Could I show up with a couple of friends and shut things down?

[MissB]

6. Right? I mean, they're already shaking the snow globe here

in Portland for next week. I’m shocked they haven’t preemptively cancelled school already.

[Mme. Defarge]

8. I'm already stocking up!

[MissB]

12. That reminds me that I need to get some more flares from Fred's

Our corner saw 6 disabled cars during the last bad snow/ice event. I am pretty sure we are out.

(Live on a corner on a hill. It’s always better to be home.)

[11 Bravo]

4. Fairfax County Public Schools announced a 2 hour early closing.

Before the first flake had fallen.

Although, to be fair, they can't win. If it goes south suddenly, the weather turns to shit sooner than expected, and kids get stuck in buildings, or buses start sliding into ditches, they catch holy Hell. Likewise, if they bail out and the snowfall doesn't accumulate, they're an easy target.
I wouldn't want to be the one to make the call.

[DeminPennswoods]

7. It doesn't take much snow to paralyze DC

There are some seriously bad drivers in the Beltway and environs.

[onenote]

16. There are drivers who can't handle the snow all over

https://gazette.com/news/crime/public-safety/live-weather-updates-snow-snarls-i--traffic/article_7898aff2-0c63-11ea-9301-7b9ea5a4061c.html

https://www.twincities.com/2018/11/28/weather-minneapolis-st-paul-snow-freezing-drizzle/

[DeminPennswoods]

18. Not like in DC

[onenote]

20. I've lived in the DC area all my life. And I have family in Wisconsin

I've seen some of the worst bad weather driving in Wisconsin in equivalent conditions.

[11 Bravo]

28. Yeah, DC area drivers are easy targets. I've lived in NOVA ...

for over 40 years. We certainly aren't the best snow navigators, but we sure as shit aren't the worst.
I've driven through heavy snow in upstate NY, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Lots of crazy shit to be seen there, as well.

[happybird]

32. Two words:

Maryland drivers.

DC drivers are too slow, VA drivers are too fast, MD drivers are batshit crazy and unpredictable.

[tblue37]

9. Both my son & DIL work for the State Department. I'm glad they won't have to make their commute

on slippery roads in heavy traffic.

[still_one]

10. Whew. For a minute I thought it might be because of her spouse posting on DU........

[blm]

34. Heheh

[GemDigger]

11. Nodding my head. We lived in Alexandria back in the 60's and coming from the NorthEast we

got a kick out of school closings for that amount of snow.

[OhNo-Really]

13. In 67 I drove the taxi to my destination

In a DC snowstorm. The Taxi driver didn’t know how to drive in snow. I grew up in New England. True story.

[GemDigger]

15. Better safe than sorry.

[hlthe2b]

14. The residual snow/black ice in front of my garage has been there since Thanksgiving...

as have the plowed heaps that face North in my and my neighbor's yards. If it were only 1/2 inch, I could finally get it to melt. Hell, if the residual solid black ice on the residential side streets were only 3 or 4 inches, the plows that periodically come out to make another run might have a chance to finally make a dent back to pavement.

But, I guess it is better to worry about something other than Trump-incited Armageddon. Enjoy Washingtonians. It really isn't all that bad

[JHB]

17. The place I work for has offices in DC-area Maryland and in the NYC 'burbs

The Maryland office closed for snow so often we used to joke that "Due to snow in New York, the Maryland office is closing."

The New York office, of course, kept right on working.

[Johnny2X2X]

19. No snow equipment is the problem

Not only aren't drivers used to driving in snow and ice in more Southern places, but they simply don't have the infrastructure to plow or salt (or even dirt) the roads.

I live in Michigan and we get pretty snarky when a Southern state shuts down because of a little snow, but I don't think people here realize that no salt or plows with a city full of people who aren't used to slippery conditions makes for very dangerous situations.

[FakeNoose]

21. Right you are

Northern and Midwestern cities have all invested in salters, sanders, snow plows and what-have-you. Apparently Washington DC never had reason to do so, likewise the other sunbelt cities even though they get ice and snow occasionally.

[Ilsa]

22. I guess those deadly accidents in Maine and

another NE state have them scared.

[Elwood P Dowd]

23. I was living in the Washington, DC area back in 1972. That February we had a surprise storm dump

8-10 inches in some locations. Caught many of us by surprise because there wasn't any warning that I recall. Was lucky that it hit Friday nite and Saturday.

[LiberalFighter]

24. Geesh. If it was Oklahoma I could see it happening

provided there was actually 1/2 inch of snow. Back around 1977, I was in Oklahoma City when they had about that much and they declared a state of emergency for the whole state. Fortunately, I was able to catch my flight out of town.

[dgauss]

25. Good idea. I lived in DC for a few years and 1/2 inch of snow can bring about chaos on the roads.

In '79 there was something like a 2 foot snowstorm and the schools were shut down for nearly a whole week. They've just never figured out how to deal with snow.

[Vinca]

26. Wow - we call that Tuesday. LOL.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

27. There's a black cloud hanging over Trump's head.....

There's a black cloud hanging over Trump's head
Down to his last *uck
With that old black cloud hanging over Trump's head
There ain't no such thing as good luck

(with due apologies to Eddie Arnold)
-----------------------

NWS says for DC area:

This Afternoon
Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Steady temperature around 33. North wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Tonight
Snow likely, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 31. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

We're all sunshine and 50-degrees here in North central KY............

[DFW]

29. I grew up in Falls Church for a while

Half an inch never used to bother us there. When it got to 6 inches, then panic started to set in.

[doc03]

30. 1/2 inch of snow

[Takket]

33. at 1/2" in Detroit you think about going 65 instead of 70 on the freeway

[jpak]

35. I'm from Maine and I have lived Down South for many years (until I moved back) :)

And I can say - with authority - that our Southern Sisters and Brethren are not prepared for snow and ice.

It's not their fault!

They don't have he salt and sand trucks.

They don't have the plows.

Studded snow tires are illegal.

They don't have the driving experience.

Every one of them should be at home 12 hours before the first snowflake falls.

The Atlanta Snowmaggedon of a few years ago was entirely preventable .

Go Home!

Stay Safe!!!!

[appalachiablue]

36. All the lazy bureaucrats & pencil pushers in DC draining the government.

What if the workforce commute is across 12 counties in five state jurisdictions- DC, MD, VA, WV, PA, and managed by 12 or so police forces in the nation's capital area.

/S