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:
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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)
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)
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)
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)
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 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)
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)
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
The Reston Parkway is empty of cars during the height of Snowmageddon in February 2010.
(WTOP/Dave Dildine)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
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)
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)
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?
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“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.
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Associated Students of GCU President Judah Floyd (left) and Vice President Gracie Zimbardi (right) participated in a workshop with Arizona Congressman Eli Crane at the Campus Victory Forum conference in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., has been a popular spot this summer, especially since it’s the nation’s 250th anniversary. And it’s where many Grand Canyon University students have traveled, including the campus’s student body leaders.
Associated Students of GCU President Judah Floyd and Vice President Gracie Zimbardi traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Campus Victory Forum conference and celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary of signing the Declaration of Independence.
“It was a humbling opportunity to be able to represent GCU and be poured into by so many admirable Christian leaders,” Floyd said. “It reminds me of the leader I want to be as a Christ follower and as someone who’s been put in a position to have influence on the students of GCU.”
Outside of conference sessions, Judah Floyd and Gracie Zimbardi explored Washington, D.C.
The three-day conference was organized by Campus Victory, an organization empowering collegiate leaders to step into civic engagement. It featured workshops, sessions and activities that equipped students with practical tools to step into their leadership roles.
Roughly 250 student leaders from universities all around the country traveled to the nation’s capital for the conference, where they met and heard from politicians and community leaders, including U.S. Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona.
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He addressed the young crowd with a personal testimony about his experience in public leadership and gave an empowering message from 1 Timothy 4:12, which reads, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
He encouraged students to boldly press on in their positions despite their young age.
Sharing a home state with Crane was made extra special to Floyd and Zimbardi when Crane invited all Arizona students backstage to meet and have conversations with him.
“He was phenomenal,” Zimbardi said. “He talked about how being firm in our faith is so important in this time, and though we are young leaders, we do have the knowledge, experience and people to look up to, so use it. It was so inspiring to hear from him.”
Gracie Zimbardi (left) displayed her patriotism with student leaders from other universities.
When sessions concluded, students explored significant landmarks, including memorials, museums, and federal and local government buildings.
Everything was decked out in red, white and blue, with flags and banners hanging everywhere to commemorate the milestone anniversary.
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Celebratory events unfolded one after another on Independence Day, finishing with the largest fireworks show in history. Some 850,000 pyrotechnic effects were detonated over 40 minutes, with thousands gathered for the once-in-a-lifetime event.
Floyd waited five hours in line to attend Salute to America 250, which concluded yearlong celebratory festivities. The six-hour event on the National Mall featured presidential remarks, musical performances and military flyovers.
While in Washington, D.C., Judah Floyd (center) met with other student leaders.
“President Donald Trump talked about how America is really a land of people of faith and people who overcome challenges time after time,” Floyd said. “It really rekindled in us the spirit of liberty that we all carry as Americans and the importance of defending that liberty for generations to come.”
Military veterans were brought onstage and honored for their commitment to serving the country. Flags from every generation of America were displayed, and singer Lee Greenwood led the crowd in singing “God Bless the U.S.A.”
The World Cup was happening at the same time. While Floyd and Zimbardi were in Washington, D.C., they witnessed another level of patriotism when a Team USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina watch party, complete with a projector screen, was organized in front of the U.S. Congress.
“Thousands of people all wearing U.S.A. jerseys were shouting and screaming and spraying water in the sky when we scored a goal. It was deafening,” Floyd said.
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Judah Floyd and Gracie Zimbardi celebrated the Fourth of July in Washington, D.C., with student leaders from around the country.
As the start of academic year approaches, Floyd and Zimbardi’s tenure as student body president and vice president will soon commence.
The duo said that participating in the Campus Victory Forum conference, networking with student body presidents and vice presidents from other universities, and witnessing everyone’s patriotism prepared them to lead with passion and boldness.
“It means a lot to me that someone in this organization thought of us, GCU, and said, ‘We need them there.’ Zimbardi said. “It was really unique hearing from other students about how they do things at other universities.
“We got to sit down and spitball back and forth. We talked about things like, ‘Wow, that’s what works for you? We are struggling in that area, do you mind if we try it?’ Having conversations like that is extremely helpful, and it is cool how unified we can all become.”
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Dozens of Iowa National Guard soldiers leaving Iowa today will spend the next six months serving in Washington, D.C..
Last August, President Trump issued an executive order declaring there was an epidemic of crime in the nation’s capitol and he immediately mobilized National Guard troops from the District of Columbia. The Pentagon then started asking state guard units to deploy to D.C. and made a request of Governor Kim Reynolds last year. “They asked earlier and I said no because we had one of the largest deployments that we’ve had for a long, long time and I just felt we were stretched pretty thin,” Reynolds said.
In May of last year, nearly 2000 Iowa National Guard soldiers were deployed to the Middle East. The final group of those soldiers returned to Iowa last month. Reynolds said the Pentagon “circled back” recently and asked her to send a group of Iowa Guard soldiers to D.C. and she’s deployed 120 Iowa Guard soldiers to D.C. “to ensure the safety and security” of people who are in the nation’s capitol, “especially with everything that’s going on with the 250th birthday of our country,” Reynolds said, “and so we were able to participate and do our share.”
Reynolds told reporters the federal government will pay the entire cost of the deployment. Reynolds will speak this morning at a private send off ceremony for the Iowa Guard soldiers before they leave for D.C. There were over 5000 National Guard troops in Washington this past Sunday, including 185 from Nebraska and over 100 from Minnesota.
