Washington, D.C

PHOTOS: Remembering DC’s ‘Snowpocalypse’ 15 years later – WTOP News

Published

1 year ago

December 18, 2024

PHOTOS: Remembering DC’s ‘Snowpocalypse’ 15 years later – WTOP News

It was one of those events that makes you remember where you were and who you were with. Snowpocalypse hit the D.C. area with a fury 15 years ago this week.

It was one of those events that you can recall where you were and who you were with. Fifteen years ago to the day, “Snowpocalypse” hit the Washington area with a fury.

One-and-a-half inches of snow fell on Dec. 18, 2009. The next day, another whopping 15 inches fell on D.C., paralyzing the city for days.

Relive the historic storm through photos:

A man shovels snow at a cab hub in North West Washington, DC on February 11, 2010. A blizzard on February 10, 2010 turned the 2009-2010 winter into the snowiest ever on record for the Washington area with millions trapped at home, many without power, and the federal government shut down for the fourth day in a row. Washington’s public transportation system was still only providing limited service with only a few bus routes operating. AFP PHOTO Eva HAMBACH
(Photo credit should read EVA HAMBACH/AFP via Getty Images)

Photo credit should read EVA HAMBACH/AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 11: A worker of the Architect of the Capitol removes snow with a front-end loader on the ground of the U.S. Capitol February 11, 2010 in Washington, DC. Washingtonians had to dig out again after the region was hard hit by a second mega snowstorm in five days making 2009 � 2010 the snowiest winter since the record has been kept in 1870. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) — WASHINGTON – FEBRUARY 11: A worker of the Architect of the Capitol removes snow with a front-end loader on the ground of the U.S. Capitol February 11, 2010 in Washington, DC. Washingtonians had to dig out again after the region was hard hit by a second mega snowstorm in five days making 2009 � 2010 the snowiest winter since the record has been kept in 1870.
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 11: A pedestrian walks behind tree branches that snapped from the weight of thick snow following yesterday�s snowstorm February 11, 2010 in Washington, DC. Washingtonians had to dig out again after the region was hard hit by a second mega snowstorm in five days making 2009 - 2010 the snowiest winter since the record has been kept in 1870. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) — WASHINGTON – FEBRUARY 11: A pedestrian walks behind tree branches that snapped from the weight of thick snow following yesterday�s snowstorm February 11, 2010 in Washington, DC. Washingtonians had to dig out again after the region was hard hit by a second mega snowstorm in five days making 2009 – 2010 the snowiest winter since the record has been kept in 1870.
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 11: A worker plows snow outside the Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue following yesterday�s snowstorm February 11, 2010 in Washington, DC. Washingtonians had to dig out again after the region was hard hit by a second mega snowstorm in five days making 2009 - 2010 the snowiest winter since the record has been kept in 1870. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) — WASHINGTON – FEBRUARY 11: A worker plows snow outside the Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue following yesterday�s snowstorm February 11, 2010 in Washington, DC. Washingtonians had to dig out again after the region was hard hit by a second mega snowstorm in five days making 2009 – 2010 the snowiest winter since the record has been kept in 1870.
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Snow covers the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia on December 20, 2009. The Washington, DC area was hammered December 19 by a fierce snowstorm that dumped more than a foot (38.48cm) of snow. AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER (Photo credit should read KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images) — Snow covers the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia on December 20, 2009. The Washington, DC area was hammered December 19 by a fierce snowstorm that dumped more than a foot (38.48cm) of snow. AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER
(Photo credit should read KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)

TOPSHOT - People walk through the snow-covered National Mall in Washington on December 20, 2009. A ferocious snow storm blanketed much of the eastern United States, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of homes, paralyzing air traffic and stranding motorists. The governors of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Delaware declared states of emergency in advance of the storm, the worst to hit the region in decades. AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM (Photo by Nicholas KAMM / AFP) (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images) — TOPSHOT – People walk through the snow-covered National Mall in Washington on December 20, 2009. A ferocious snowstorm blanketed much of the eastern United States, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of homes, paralyzing air traffic and stranding motorists. The governors of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Delaware declared states of emergency in advance of the storm, the worst to hit the region in decades. AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM (Photo by Nicholas KAMM / AFP)
(Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 11: A man delivers restaurant supplies on an unplowed street following yesterday�s snowstorm February 11, 2010 in Washington, DC. Washingtonians had to dig out again after the region was hard hit by a second mega snowstorm in five days making 2009 - 2010 the snowiest winter since the record has been kept in 1870. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) — WASHINGTON – FEBRUARY 11: A man delivers restaurant supplies on an unplowed street following yesterday�s snowstorm February 11, 2010 in Washington, DC. Washingtonians had to dig out again after the region was hard hit by a second mega snowstorm in five days making 2009 – 2010 the snowiest winter since the record has been kept in 1870.
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The Reston Parkway is empty of cars during the height of Snowmageddon in February 2010. (WTOP/Dave Dildine) — The Reston Parkway is empty of cars during the height of Snowmageddon in February 2010.
(WTOP/Dave Dildine)

US Winter Forecast — FILE – Travis Grout uses his cross country snow skis to get around the West Front of the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 6, 2010. Federal forecasters are predicting on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, less snow in general for the United States winter, but they said big snow events are possible like Washington’s paralyzing Snowmageddon storm that dumped more than 2 feet on the capital region during an El Nino.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Officials work the scene of Joshua Temple Church Ministry in northeast Washington after the roof collapsed under the heavy snow Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010. A massive snowstorm has hit the area with snow expected to continue throughout Saturday evening.
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

7News First Alert Chief Meteorologist Veronica Johnson isn’t predicting that much snow for this winter, though she said we can expect a little over 5 inches in the city with up to 15 inches in the northern and western suburbs. She said southern Maryland can expect a little over 2 inches.

So why do these massive snowfall totals seem to be a thing of the past for the D.C. area?

“It’s a warming climate for us,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to get the colder conditions that will produce snowfall.”

Two months later, another record 3 feet of snow blanketed the D.C. region in 2010, putting flights out of the city at a standstill and leading to snowball fights outside of the Capitol Building. The snowfall was nicknamed “Snowmageddon.”

The mammoth snowstorms during the winter of 2009-2010 led to the region’s snowiest winter of all time. The 2009-2010 winter will be long remembered for its relentless snowstorms that led to a record seasonal snowfall at Reagan National and Dulles International airports.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

Source link

Related Topics:alan etter Blizzards dc snow Featured record weather Snowpocalypse veronica johnson

Click to comment

Washington, D.C

WATCH LIVE: No Kings march and rally in DC

Published

11 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

WATCH LIVE: No Kings march and rally in DC

WASHINGTON – Thousands are expected gather in Washington, D.C. for a “No Kings” march and rally.

Here’s everything you need to know:

What is the No Kings protest?

What we know:

Organized locally by area chapters of Indivisible and allied grassroots groups, the event aims to draw protesters to downtown Washington and surrounding counties to oppose policies of the Trump administration and to voice broader concerns about civil rights and democratic norms.

No Kings protest details

Timeline:

The march will kick off at 10 a.m., with participants gathering at Memorial Circle near Arlington Cemetery, with additional access from the Blue Line or nearby parking at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, according to the event organizers. There is no public parking in the immediate area, but participants can be dropped off at the circle.

From there, the procession will head across the Memorial Bridge into Washington, D.C., passing the Lincoln Memorial and continuing on to the Washington Monument.

At the conclusion of the march, participants can walk to a downtown rally, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Other ‘No Kings’ rallies in the DMV

Dig deeper:

In addition to the main rally in downtown D.C., several other demonstrations tied to “No Kings 3” are scheduled around the DMV this Saturday.

In Arlington, Virginia, activists are organizing a march across the Memorial Bridge beginning at 10 a.m., with protesters expected to continue into West Potomac Park before joining larger crowds in the District proper, for example.

There are hundreds of “No Kings” events scheduled to take place this Saturday throughout the DMV. You can click here to find a list of all of them.

How to watch No Kings march and rally in DC

What you can do:

FOX 5 DC will be covering No Kings in D.C. all day on FOX LOCAL and in the liveplayer at the top of this story.

FOX 5 DC is available to watch for free on Roku, Amazon FireTV, Apple TV, Google Android TV and Vizio with the FOX LOCAL app. Here’s how to download FOX LOCAL on your mobile phone.

Washington, D.C.News

Source link

Washington, D.C

‘Strong smell’ shuts down flights at major DC-area airports for the second time this month

Published

23 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

‘Strong smell’ shuts down flights at major DC-area airports for the second time this month

Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.

A reported “strong smell” at a key air traffic control center disrupted flights Friday evening at major airports across the Washington, D.C., region for the second time in two weeks.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport (CHO) and Richmond International Airport (RIC), the agency told FOX Business in an email.

The FAA said the disruptions were due to a “strong smell” at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) center, which manages airspace in the region.

GROUND STOP LIFTED AT MAJOR DC-AREA AIRPORTS AFTER CHEMICAL ODOR DISRUPTS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

An FAA air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

It was not immediately clear what caused the smell.

Ground stops at Dulles, Reagan National and BWI remained in effect until around 8 p.m. ET before being lifted, according to the FAA’s website.

NEWARK AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS LOST RADAR, RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH PLANES FOR OVER A MINUTE, SPARKING CHAOS

The FAA said the disruption was due to a “strong smell” at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) center. (Flightradar24)

As of 8:30 p.m., Reagan National was experiencing ground delays, while BWI continued to see departure delays.

Earlier this month, a ground stop was similarly issued at several airports in the Washington, D.C., region after a chemical odor was detected at the TRACON center.

FATAL LAGUARDIA COLLISION RENEWS FOCUS ON RUNWAY INCURSION RISKS ACROSS US

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy speaks at a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images / Getty Images)

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

The temporary ground stop March 13 similarly affected DCA, IAD, BWI and RIC, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the time.

Duffy said the smell came from an overheated circuit board, which has since been replaced.

Source link

Washington, D.C

50 years of DC Metro: A look back in photos

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

50 years of DC Metro: A look back in photos

One family, four generations with DC Metro

As Metro celebrates 50 years of service, one D.C. family is marking the milestone with a legacy of their own — four generations who have all worked on the system, helping keep the region moving for decades.

WASHINGTON – D.C. residents got on their first Metro train 50 years ago on March 27, 1976. Here’s a look back at the beginning.

Connecticut Avenue; NW; looking south. evening traffic-jams are aggravated by metro subway construction in Washington D.C. ca. 1973 (Photo by: HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

View of the Metro Center subway station (at 13th and G Streets NW) during its construction, Washington DC, November 16, 1973. (Photo by Warren K Leffler/PhotoQuest/Getty Images)

Standing in the cavernous tunnel, planners wearing hard hats discuss the construction progress of the Metro Center subway station at the intersection of 13th and G Streets in Washington, DC, November 16, 1973. (Photo by Leffler/Library of Congress/In

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 07: FILE, Metro construction miners and blasters on a jumbo drill outside the hole they are working on at Rock Creek Parkway and Cathedral Ave NW in Washington, DC on November 7, 1973. (Photo by James K.W Atherton/The Washin

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 4: FILE, View of the Post Office at North Capital and Mass Avenue NE, and 1st NE where subway tunnels were being constructed in Washington, DC on March 4, 1974. (Photo by Joe Heiberger/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 29: FILE, Workers rig a pipe at the entrance to the Rosslyn Metro Station in Washington DC on August 29, 1974 (Photo by Larry Morris/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 27: FILE, The crowd at Rhode Island Station on opening day of the Washington Metro on March 27, 1976. (Photo by James A. Parcell/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 28: FILE, Reverend Leslie E. Smith of the Episcopal Church, right, and George Docherty of New York Avenue Presbyterian church hold a joint service at the new Metro Center station in Washington, DC on March 28, 1976. (Photo by D

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 1: FILE, An aerial view of metro construction where it crosses the Washington Channel. The Potomac River, the Pentagon and Northern Virginia can be seen in the distance. (Photo by Ken Feil/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 27: FILE, A packed train of commuters on the Silver Spring metro on the Red Line on January 27, 1987. (Photo by Dudley M. Brooks/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 4: FILE, Thousands of people press their way into the Smithsonian Subway station after the Independence Day fireworks in Washington, DC on July 4, 1979. (Photo by Lucian Perkins/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityNewsWashington, D.C.

Source link