Rare October snowflakes fell thick and fast in the District Saturday, while parts of Fairfax and Montgomery Counties were dusted by the storm that flummoxed travelers up and down the East Coast. Though the District’s snow melted as soon as it hit the pavement, the National Weather Service reported 3 inches in Clarksburg in Montgomery County by 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 0.4 inches in Herndon in Fairfax County.
The last time that a significant amount of snow fell on the Washington region in October was 1979, according to the weather service.
Officials warned that snow falling on tree limbs that still have leaves could cause power outages: A little over a thousand were without power in the Washington area as of Saturday afternoon.
Thousands more were without power further west in Virginia and north in Maryland, power companies reported.
Local governments warned drivers and pedestrians to use caution on slick roads and sidewalks, while the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency used the opportunity to remind people to keep snow shovels handy and winterize homes in preparation for winter.
The District had deployed its 250 trucks and other pieces of equipment designed to clear snow from streets on Friday, the day before the storm, as part of its official “Dry Run.” The exercise is designed to give drivers time to practice on the equipment before winter set in.
It was a coincidence that the Dry Run occurred the day before the first flakes were predicted for the District, said DPW Director William Howland.
The Department of Public Works deployed several plows Saturday, monitoring bridges so they could apply salt if necessary.
At Dulles International Airport, the snow didn’t cause delays, but planes were de-iced before taking off. Airports authority spokesman Rob Yingling said Dulles had personnel ready to battle the snow with plows and salt, if needed.
But it wasn’t really winter at the airports yet.
“It’s kind of going similar to a rainy day rather than a snowy day, due to it being early in the season and ground temperatures being warm,” Yingling said.
The snow and rain put a damper on some people’s plans to celebrate Halloween.
Corn mazes, haunted houses and fall festivals were canceled across the region, including Markoff’s Haunted Forest in Dickerson, Md., Cox Farms in Centreville, Va. and Summers Farm in Frederick.
