Doom and Gloom Don't Add Up to Much

Across the Washington region, roads were salted, schools were closed and officials prepared for the worst, but by yesterday's end, the verdict on the much-ballyhooed snow-and-ice storm was one of general relief.

An early morning 15-car pileup with no injuries in Montgomery County and some fender benders in Fairfax County were among the less-serious traffic incidents. However, a man was fatally injured in St. Mary's County in a crash blamed on a slick road.

Some teachers grumbled in the District, the only jurisdiction that kept schools open. Most commuters were greeted by wet but clear roads as predictions of potential gridlock -- or icelock -- went largely unrealized when the region stayed warmer and drier than expected.

"It really looks like D.C. did luck out," said Alan Reppert, a meteorologist for AccuWeather.com, who added that the weekend would be milder. "There was some heavier precipitation around, but it came through more when the temperatures were above freezing."

On Thursday, most meteorologists were calling for a "wintry mix" starting early yesterday that could last 18 hours. Having been criticized for slow reaction to earlier storms, crews pre-treated roads with salt and chemicals in hopes of preventing freezing.

By early morning, suburban school officials were not taking chances and canceled classes.

In Prince George's County, which was using its first snow day of the year, school personnel began inspecting roads, school driveways and sidewalks after 3 a.m., spokesman John White said. At 5 a.m., the deputy superintendent made the decision to cancel classes.

"We have to make the call very early in the morning in order to inform families, and at that point in the morning, driving conditions were slippery at best in some areas, and we made the decision based on the best information we had," White said.

The closed schools and relatively light precipitation helped make commutes easier than expected, transportation officials said.

"The traffic's lighter than normal because everyone's had a lot of warning and schools are closed," Joan Morris, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation, said during the morning rush hour. "That's certainly helpful to our crews."

In the District, Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee talked to her top aides at 4 a.m. and concluded that conditions were so mild that classes would go on as scheduled. The decision rankled some D.C. teachers who live in the suburbs.

"Clearly the decision . . . to open schools on time today appeared to show a lack of sensitivity and concern for the safety of our teachers who reside outside of the District," Washington Teachers' Union President George Parker said in a statement. About 50 percent of District teachers live outside the city, Parker noted.