Montgomery County Braces for Blizzard of 2016

BETHESDA, MD — The weather forecast for Montgomery County on Friday calls for a possible 30 inches of snow in the area, and authorities are urging residents to get off the roads.

As Winter Storm Jonas dumps snow and ice as it brings blizzard conditions to the region this weekend, Montgomery County has declared a snow emergency, effective at 3 p.m. Friday.

Residents must move their cars off the streets. County Executive Ike Leggett discussed snow plow operations at a news briefing at the county’s Salt Barn. The top priority is to clear primary and secondary roads. You can track snow clearing operations this weekend, here.

MORE ON PATCH:

• Grab A Shovel to Keep Fire Hydrants Clear
• Ways to Avoid Injury When Shoveling Snow
• Hour By Hour Snow Timeline for Bethesda
• Maryland Power Companies Prepare for Snowstorm
• Snow Emergency Declared for Maryland Highways
• Montgomery County Winter Storm: What To Do Before Snow Flies
• Metro to Halt Service During Blizzard

A Blizzard Warning goes into effect at 3 p.m. today in Montgomery County. Residents should prepare for heavy snow and high winds.

Montgomery County Public Schools are closed Friday because of the weather conditions. Federal Government offices are closing at noon today.

Metro plans to suspend its rail service Friday night because of the winter storm.

If your power goes out, you can report the outage by phone or online.

Important Utility Numbers include:

• PEPCO: 1-877-737-2662
• SMECO: 1-877-747-6326 or 1-888-440-3311
• Washington Gas: 1-800-752-7520
• Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC): 1-800-828-4002
• First Energy/Potomac Edison: 1-888-544-4877
• Baltimore Gas and Electric (BG&E): 1-877-778-2222 or 1-800-685-0123

Montgomery Parks has released a list of the best hills for sledding. The agency has also launched a snowman contest.

What to Know in Chevy Chase During Storm

Police Non-Emergency Number
To report non life-threatening situations call 301.279.8000.

Downed Trees
Report downed trees to the police by calling 911 if it is a life-threatening emergency. Call the non-emergency police number for other situations: 301.279.8000.

Water Service
To report a water or sewer line break, sewer back-up or stoppage, or fire hydrant leak, call the WSSC Emergency line at 301-206-4002.

Street Snow/Ice Removal
The town’s crew and contractors will remove snow and treat Town roads. Plowing will begin when two inches of snow has fallen on streets Plow crews operate continuously until the streets are clear.

Parking in Snow or Icy Conditions
Residents must park cars either in driveways or on the even-numbered side of the street. Do not park cars on the odd-numbered side of the street, unless otherwise posted.

Sidewalk Snow Removal
A contractor will remove snow from Town sidewalks and crosswalks if snowfall totals three inches or more. Homeowners must clear their driveways and walks.

Trees and Power Lines
The Town arborist will identify any damage to Town trees and notify the tree maintenance contractor for immediate remediation. The Town will report all downed power lines to PEPCO.

Power Outages
Report power outages to PEPCO by calling 1.877.PEPCO.62 (1.877.737.2662). In the event of a power outage, the Town Hall may be available for public use. Residents will be notified.

Fire Hydrants
The Town has installed fire hydrant flags to help identify hydrant locations.

Communication
The Town will use voicemail, the Town website, Town Crier, Alert TOCC, Twitter and Facebook to communicate with residents during winter storms. Town staff will attempt to relay service interruptions (e.g. cancelled trash collection, etc.) in a timely way, preferably on the day prior to any anticipated interruptions.

For more information visit the Town of Chevy Chase website.