Slick roads, canceled flights and snowball fights were part of the D.C. area’s first major snowstorm in three years on Monday.
Work crews were up early to clear streets and sidewalks. By midday, almost 8 inches of snow had fallen in the outer suburbs. Officials expected up to 3 more inches during a second round of precipitation in the evening.
Major airports near the nation’s capital reported hundreds of flights canceled during the heaviest snowfall in the morning.
An estimated 100,000 customers were without power in Virginia and West Virginia as snow, sleet and freezing rain whipped through the region.
Officials said they were racing to move snow and slush off the roads before temperatures plummeted into the low 20s by nightfall.
“One of the biggest concerns we have is with this midnight freeze,” Col. Roland Butler, head of Maryland State Police, said at an afternoon press conference. “We don’t want anybody out there stuck overnight. It will take some time for us to get to you, so please be prepared. We will get you as quickly as we can.”
SEE ALSO: Snow-coated roads create driving hazards around D.C. area
People appeared to heed warnings about keeping vehicles off the roads.
A few minor interstate crashes affected travel, mainly during the rapid morning snowfall.
Despite improved road conditions, Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland and Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia will remain closed Tuesday. Prince William County in Virginia and Howard County near Baltimore also canceled classes.
By late Monday, the federal government, the region’s largest employer, had not announced whether it would remain closed for a second day.
If the government opens Tuesday, the Maryland Area Rail Commuter and the Virginia Railway Express will likely operate. Both commuter train services were closed on Monday.
Amtrak preemptively canceled Tuesday trips for lines connecting the District with Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia. The Washington area Metrorail system was running its regular schedule on Monday.
SEE ALSO: Major snow in D.C. region prompts commuter rails to close, delays at airports
Hundreds of flights at the region’s three major airports were either delayed or canceled at the storm’s peak, but the trend appeared to be leaning toward business as usual for Tuesday.
FlightAware’s “Misery Map” showed that most cancellations were at Ronald Reagan National Airport, particularly for flights headed west.
Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport had fewer cancellations. The Baltimore area received slightly less snow than the District.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which covers Dulles International and Reagan National, said airlines have the final say on arrival and departure schedules.
“It will be up to the airlines to decide when to resume normal flight operations, so the best advice for passengers is to stay in touch with their airline regarding the status of their travel plans,” the MWAA spokesman said.
Snow lovers were out enjoying the powder. Parents were sledding with their children down hills, and others young and old participated in an organized snowball fight in Meridian Hill Park in Northwest.
Varun, who asked not to use his last name because he was skipping work, told The Washington Times that he nailed a couple of people in the snowball fight, which came in waves.
He said he enjoyed watching dogs jump and try to catch snowballs in the no-man’s land that separated the two sides of the fight.
G-Wiz, the Washington Wizards mascot, ran through the middle of the snowball fight before aiming himself.
Joey, lingering on the periphery, told The Times he was content to watch the action. He said he was skipping work to take in the snowy sights, which included children building snowmen along the park’s main drag.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.