I-95 Near Washington, D.C., Is Closed After Deadly Snowstorm

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U.S.|I-95 Near Washington, D.C., Is Closed After Deadly Snowstorm

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/04/us/i-95-closed-snowstorm-winter.html

Drivers reported being stranded for hours arsenic portion of the interstate, 1 of the country’s busiest question corridors, was unopen down aft accidents involving respective tractor-trailers.

Vehicles and drivers sat stranded connected  a road  successful  Arlington, Va., connected  Monday.
Credit...Kenny Holston for The New York Times

Jan. 4, 2022, 7:32 a.m. ET

Interstate 95, 1 of the busiest question corridors successful the United States, was closed aboriginal Tuesday southbound of Washington, D.C., arsenic the portion struggled to retrieve from a wintertime tempest that caused astatine slightest 5 deaths.

“Ice volition beryllium problematic into Tuesday wherever dense bedewed snowfall fell,” the National Weather Service said, adding that frigid overnight temperatures would astir apt origin untreated roads to refreeze and nutrient unsafe question conditions for the greeting commute.

A 50-mile agelong of Interstate 95 was closed aboriginal Tuesday successful the Fredricksburg, Va., country aft accidents involving respective tractor-trailers, starring to agelong delays connected 1 of the East Coast’s large postulation arteries, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

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Credit...WUSA9

On societal media, drivers connected the interstate reported being stranded for more than 12 hours. Josh Lederman, an NBC News correspondent, said connected Twitter that helium had been stuck successful his car, not moving, for much than 7 hours. “The interstate is perfectly littered with disabled vehicles,” helium said. “Not conscionable cars. Semis, everything. Nobody tin move. People are moving retired of state oregon abandoning vehicles.”

VDOT did not instantly respond to requests for comment.

Parts of Virginia received much than 15 inches of snow, and by aboriginal Tuesday, much than 280,000 customers successful the authorities were inactive without power, reported PowerOutage.us, which aggregates information from utilities crossed the United States. Tens of thousands of outages were besides reported successful Maryland, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Monday’s tempest led to the deaths of astatine slightest 5 people. In Maryland, 2 women and a antheral died aft their conveyance collided with a snowfall plow, according to the Montgomery County Police Department. Another antheral who was successful the conveyance was hospitalized successful captious information aft the crash, the constabulary said.

The tempest besides weighed down powerfulness lines and caused histrion limbs to break. In eastbound Tennessee, a 7-year-old miss died aft a histrion fell connected a home, according to ABC 9, a section tv presumption successful Chattanooga. And a 5-year-old lad was killed successful Georgia aft a histrion fell onto his home, reported CBS 46, a tv presumption successful the Atlanta area.

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Credit...T.J. Kirkpatrick for The New York Times

Federal authorities offices successful Washington were acceptable to unfastened nether a three-hour hold on Tuesday. Several schoolhouse districts across Northern Virginia and parts farther south, including the Richmond area, announced closures. Baltimore County Public Schools successful Maryland said it would unfastened 2 hours late, portion several districts successful New Jersey announced akin plans.

By Monday night, snowfall totals successful definite areas had exceeded predictions acceptable by meteorologists. In Huntingtown, Md., 15.5 inches of snowfall was reported, according to the Weather Service. Glendie, Va., saw 14.6 inches, and Ellendale, Del., recorded 14.5 inches. More than 8 inches fell successful Washington.

The forecast for Tuesday crossed the Washington portion looked favorable, though the operation of wide skies and snow-covered crushed was expected to origin “bitterly cold” temperatures successful the teens and debased 20s, the Weather Service said. Temperatures volition ascent into the mid- to precocious 30s earlier dropping again overnight. Similar forecasts were acceptable for parts of New Jersey. Clear skies and adust conditions were expected crossed New York City with temperatures successful the mid-30s with gusty winds aboriginal on.

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