Wintry mix glazes roads; government workers offered liberal leave

The Washington area woke Thursday morning to a granular, frozen mix of precipitation that glazed many roads, covered parked cars in a thin shell of ice and prompted the federal government and several local jurisdictions to offer their employees liberal leave.

With schools on winter break and many office workers on vacation, the mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain did not wreak as much havoc as it might have if it happened two weeks from now.

But public safety officials reported numerous car accidents, especially on highway ramps and overpasses; some child-care centers announced they would open late or not at all; and would-be travelers or revelers anxiously watched the forecast and wondered how it might impact their New Year's Eve plans.

In Montgomery County, the Ride On bus system reported weather-related delays; other bus systems appeared to be operating normally. Metrorail was operating on time, but the Maryland Transit Administration said MARC trains were running slightly behind schedule. Commuters were advised to give themselves extra time to walk to public transportation or de-ice their windshields and cars.

The nature of Thursday's early morning precipitation varied across the area, with slightly higher temperatures in downtown Washington resulting in ordinary rain and roads and sidewalks that were wet but not icy. The District government opened on time and was not offering employees unscheduled leave.

Even a couple miles away, however, sidewalks that had not been treated with salt or other melting chemicals were slick, and pedestrians were struggling. Interstate 270 and other commuter arteries were covered with a layer of icy slush outside the Capital Beltway. Motorists were advised to be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and highway ramps, where the pavement temperature is usually coldest.

By 8 a.m., The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang was reporting 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulated in outlying areas of Montgomery and Loudoun counties. The precipitation was tapering off, however, and forecasters said it would give way to a sporadic rain by later morning.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for the area until 1 p.m. New Year's Day is expected to be cloudy and blustery with highs in the low 40s.

Road crews in Maryland, the District and Virginia deployed in full force overnight, salting key roads and intersections in hopes of mitigating the worst of the storm.