MoCo Wants Residents To Stay Safe During Cold Weather
With sub-freezing temperatures expected to continue tomorrow and another batch of light snow likely on the way, Montgomery County is urging residents to take some basic steps to be safe this winter.
Most deal with clearing snow and walking on ice:
Cold weather is here and more precipitation is likely. Planning to stay safe outdoors is especially important right now. Please consider these strategies:
Staying Upright
- Arrange to have snow and ice removed from sidewalks and steps.
- Wear boots or shoes with deep treads or traction slip-ons.
- Avoid going out alone into snowy or icy conditions.
- Use handrails on both sides of outdoor stairs.
- Take your time while walking. Shuffle along with short, low steps and avoid a stiff posture.
- Keep hands out of your pockets since youll need them to restore balance if you slip.
- Carefully consider whether to walk over uncleared snow or to go around it. Test how slippery a potentially slick area is by tapping your foot on it.
Shoveling Safely
- Buy a shovel that feels most comfortable to you.
- Since a shovel full of snow can weigh more than 10lbs, push the snow out of your way instead of lifting it. Use your legs (knees), not your back. Hold the shovel with arms apart to maximize leverage.
- Do not shovel snow if you have heart disease or another physical condition that limits your and activity. Shoveling can increase blood pressure and cold weather constricts blood vessels, resulting in a significant increase in heart attack risk.
Metro: Bethesda Station Rail Repair Shouldn’t Affect Evening Commute
A small crack to an outbound rail at the Bethesda Metro station is forcing single tracking in the area, but shouldn’t affect the evening commute, WMATA spokesman Philip Stewart said.
Red Line trains will single track between the Medical Center and Friendship Heights stations on the Glenmont-bound track for what Stewart said should be a short period of time. Metro crews are repairing the cracked rail.
As temperatures drop, cracked rails aren’t uncommon Stewart said.
Freezing temperatures force the rails to contract and can lead to cracks.
Winter Weather Advisory Warns of Some Accumulation
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Montgomery County until 8 p.m., with one to two inches of snow expected and less than an inch of accumulation forecasted for the Bethesda area.
Roads will be slippery from snow and sleet, which could cause traffic issues this afternoon and evening. Northern Montgomery County is expected to get most of the accumulation on the roads (one to two inches).
… WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND SLEET… WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING.
* PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW AND SLEET.
* PRECIPITATION TYPE AND TIMING… SNOW WILL BEGIN EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL MIX WITH SLEET AND RAIN AT TIMES BEFORE TAPERING OFF THIS EVENING.
* ACCUMULATIONS… 1 TO 2 INCHES ACROSS NORTHERN MONTGOMERY… NORTHERN HOWARD AND NORTHERN BALTIMORE COUNTIES. LESS THAN AN INCH ELSEWHERE.
* TEMPERATURES… LOWER TO MIDDLE 30S.
* WINDS… SOUTHEAST 5 MPH OR LESS.
* IMPACTS… UNTREATED ROADS MAY BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY IN SPOTS… ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHERN MONTGOMERY… NORTHERN HOWARD AND NORTHERN BALTIMORE COUNTIES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
THIS WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES… AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
