(Updated Tuesday) Bethesda Area Weather: 2017 Snowstorm Live Feed

(Updated at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday) BETHESDA, MD — The Nor'easter Stella making roads slick across Bethesda and Montgomery County has prompted officials to close offices, including schools, and many services on Tuesday. We'll be keeping a live stream of updates on the weather -- and any changes to the forecast -- in this post throughout the day, so stay tuned. (Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts, or like us on Facebook for more storm updates.)

County Executive Ike Leggett has declared county government offices and facilities closed on Tuesday, March 14. Essential personnel must report as scheduled. Government facilities, other than public safety facilities, will be closed.

Free parking in county garages and parking lots is available Tuesday until midnight. The County's Ride On bus service will operate on the "S" Service Plan all day Tuesday, March 14. There will be limited service on all weekday routes making best efforts to provide service every 60 to 90 minutes as conditions allow. Riders are cautioned to expect possible delays and detours and to allow for extra travel time. Detailed information about the S Service Plan is available in English and Spanish.

There will be no county recycling or trash pick-up on Tuesday. Residents should not take their trash cans and recycling bins to the curb. Residents who receive county provided recycling or refuse collection service will have their pick-ups delayed by one day the remainder of the week due to today's snow. Therefore, residents who are normally picked up on Tuesdays will be picked up on Wednesday this week and so forth ending with residents with Friday pick-up being collected on Saturday.

• The Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station, Shady Grove Road will be closed.
• The County Executive’s FY18 Operational Budget Proposal news conference will be rescheduled.
• The County Council session scheduled for Tuesday, March 14 is postponed.

The county urges residents to clear snow from sidewalks in front of their homes within 24 hours of the cessation of snowfall. Residents and property owners are asked to help clear snow around fire hydrants and storm drains. Parking lot managers for commercial and residential parking lots are urged not to block disability parking spaces during their snow removal efforts.

Montgomery County is working around the clock on snow operations. Residents are urged to stay home so crews can continue to clear roads and public safety and emergency personnel can reach those in critical need. Snow removal and plowing operations are continuing and have begun operations in neighborhoods. The initial objective is to make the more-than 4,000 lane miles of neighborhood roads passable. Residents should not expect to see bare pavement on the first pass.

MC311, the County’s informational call center, will remain open for extended hours. Contact MC311 by phone at 3-1-1 or 240-777-0311, or visit hours.www.MC311.com.

How much are we going to get?

Weather.com says Bethesda and nearby communities will get 3 to 7 inches of snow.

When is it going to hit?

The heaviest snow will take place between 9 p.m. Monday night and 9 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The Montgomery County Board of Education meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 14, has been postponed due to potential emergency weather conditions.

The meeting will now be held on Friday, March 17. The Board will meet in closed session beginning at 9 a.m., and public agenda items are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. The public portion of the meeting will be broadcast live on the MCPS website and on MCPS TV (Comcast Channel 34).

The revised agenda, with related materials attached, can be found on the Board of Education’s BoardDocs site.

However, CWG thinks that on the whole, our likely snowfall totals are decreasing: "Inside the Beltway, 2-4 inches of snow and sleet is most likely, with amounts quickly increasing to the north and west, and decreasing to the south and east."

Flight Delays: Flights from East Coast cities are being delayed as the storm moves in, and flights to and from Chicago are also experiencing delays. You can check for delays at Reagan National, Dulles and Baltimore-Washington airports online.

Precip should begin some time around 9p tonight, plus or minus 2 hrs. Snow initially won't stick w/ temps above 32. https://t.co/O5ZQ9NmQ4s pic.twitter.com/cBIsRdSwbS
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) March 13, 2017

Montgomery County Offers Winter Weather Tips:

• If there is a power outage, be prepared by having enough food, water, medication if needed and batteries to last at least two days. Make sure portable radios, smoke detectors and flashlights are working properly. Make shelter, food, water and medication preparations for pets and livestock.
• Automobile owners are urged to help clear the way for snow plow operators. When parking on-street, pull close to the curb on the even numbered side of the street. Park vehicles in driveways, or off the street, whenever possible.
• Plan where you will park if a State or County Snow Emergency is declared, making parking illegal on those roads. Drivers may park in County public-parking garages and lots for free during a snow emergency.
• Be sure your vehicle(s) are ready to drive after the storm by filling the gas tank; checking tires to make sure they have an adequate tread and are fully inflated; checking oil, antifreeze and windshield washer fluid levels; and ensuring windshield wipers, lights, flashing hazard lights, exhaust system, heater, brakes and defroster are all working.
• County residents are required by law to clear sidewalks in front of and alongside their properties within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm. Everyone is encouraged to help seniors or others who may not be physically able to shovel. Remember not to shovel snow over fire hydrants and make a point to shovel hydrants out with a three-foot diameter around the hydrant.

Important Maryland Numbers include:

PEPCO: 1-877-737-2662
Baltimore Gas and Electric (BG&E): 1-877-778-2222 or 1-800-685-0123
First Energy/Potomac Edison: 1-888-544-4977
SMECO: 1-877-747-6326 or 1-888-440-3311
Washington Gas: 1-800-752-7520
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission: 1-800-828-4002

If a power outage occurs:

• Treat all “dark” intersections as four-way stops. Stop, then proceed cautiously.
• During a power outage, relying on battery-operated lights, rather than candles, is much safer. Using candles increases the risk of a fire.
• Refrigerated food will remain unspoiled only about four hours if the refrigerator is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. Use ice to keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0° or lower if there is a prolonged power outage.
• It can be fatal to use gas or charcoal grills, propane heaters and stoves, kerosene space heaters or generators indoors. These items are a source of carbon monoxide, which can build up indoors and cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Please see the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue site for more information.

As of 11:45 a.m.: Could it be a bust? Mike Thomas of Fox 5 jokes about it in a tweet below, but the reality is that there is a very wide range of snowfall predictions for the D.C. area.

Additional Reporting by Patch Editor Dan Taylor

Image via Pixabay