Turn the Calendar, Grab a Coat and Hit the Slopes

An unusually early cold snap has ushered in wintry weather to the Washington area, bringing November to an end with temperatures 10 degrees below normal and allowing ski resorts to open weeks ahead of schedule.

The cold, rainy weather yesterday did little to slow the crush of holiday travelers flying or driving back to the District, but officials at Reagan National, Dulles International and Baltimore-Washington International Marshall airports reported only scattered flight delays, and traffic seemed as backed up by Redskins fans heading to FedEx Field as it was by those coming back from Thanksgiving getaways.

"It was a pretty good holiday for us at the airports this year," said Courtney Prebich, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates Dulles and National. "Everything seemed to be going smoothly."

That's not to say that the Washington region had no traffic problems yesterday: Traffic snarled in both directions on Interstate 95 in Virginia, and at least three weather-related fender benders kept police in St. Mary's County busy. Across Maryland and Virginia, police reported sporadic, minor accidents, but none significantly stalled traffic.

Amtrak and other out-of-town train and bus services were crammed with holiday travelers looking for a ride home yesterday. A ticket agent for the Chinatown Bus service said all their buses were filled, as they were the two days before Thanksgiving.

"It was, like, crazy," said the ticket agent, who said she preferred to be identified only by her first name, Crystal. "Everyone's rushing at the last minute."

Dozens of people stood in the chilly weather yesterday outside the old Woodward & Lothrop building at 11th and F streets NW, waiting for the afternoon bus to arrive.

The cold end to November presaged an even colder December, with highs in the mid-40s and lows in the upper-20s, said Kate Walters, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.com.

"Because the past few winters have been relatively mild, it will feel a lot colder," Walters said.

There was some good news that came with the cold: Slopes at ski resorts, which take advantage of cold temperatures by making snow, are opening early this year. The slopes opened two weeks early at Wintergreen Resort in central Virginia. It's the first time the slopes there opened during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in more than five years, said Dana Quillen, a Wintergreen spokeswoman.

The ski resort is usually packed during Thanksgiving weekend with members and property owners who want to hike, dine or go to the spa or wreath-making workshops. But the recent cold weather allowed the 11,000-acre resort to fire up its snow guns last weekend and create a few inches of powder.

"We are trying to shake everything out," Quillen said. "The snow we made was so beautiful that people were going to get mad if we didn't open."