To residents of Capitol Hill, it seems like it was just yesterday that the city (and region) were completely paralyzed by a snow storm double-whammy, leaving locals with nothing to do but frolic in the unusual piles of snow that surrounded them.
In fact, it has been four years since “Snowmageddon,” and today marks the fourth anniversary of the second of the two storms. A timeline of the events, plus pictures, follow…
Friday, February 5, 2010, started ominously, with reports of heavy snow from further west signaling an impending snowstorm. The DC public schools managed to complete a half-day of instruction before sending the students home. In the course of the afternoon, the correctness of the decision was shown as snow dumped down on the District. At 11:00 PM, the snow let up briefly, and across Capitol Hill, neighbors compared observations of snowfall, trees groaning under the weight of the fallen snow, and the impassibility of the streets.
Saturday morning, the streets were entirely devoid of cars, and pedestrians found that they could get anywhere they wanted to – as long as they were wearing appropriate gear. Suits were traded in for thick jackets, ties for scarves and wingtips for boots, and there was a whole new world to explore.
Sunday and Monday were particularly gorgeous, and it seemed that all Capitol Hill – even the nuns from down East Capitol Street getting in on the fun. A few intrepid souls even built an igloo in the middle of Lincoln Park, quite possibly the first such structure in the park.
While Tuesday remained a day to play in the snow, the mood was dampened somewhat by the gray skies and the news that another snowstorm was on its way. Some homeowners took the opportunity to remove snow from their roofs. And indeed, that night, snow fell again in record amounts.
The snow continued for much of Wednesday, and only the most intrepid made it out to observe and play.
It was the next four days that will be what remain in people’s memories: Four days of beautiful sunshine, deep snow, and no work – except for those whose job it was to clear out snow. Even Bobcats were pressed into service to clear alleys.
It was during this that the message went through the parents grapevine: It was okay to sled on Capitol Hill. Thus, Saturday and Sunday, the green slope below the Capitol, usually sternly off limits, was the place to be seen. Kids of all ages pulled out sleds and trudged up and flew down the icy slopes, under the benevolent gaze of the Capitol Hill police officers.
On Monday the 15th, the city groaned back to life, and the white blanket of snow was slowly turned into hills of ice, and washes of gray slush. None of it, though, could break the spell that the one glorious, snow-bound week had wrought.
I did a lot of shoveling for that stretch — the car, the roof, a friend’s car. And in between all that shoveling, my wife gave birth in the wee hours of the 6th (driving up to National Hospital Center at 10pm on the 5th was no fun). It’s a storm that our family will never forget.