Winter Storm Preparations

Storm Forecast to Start as Rain Overnight, Turning to Snow Thursday Morning

A winter storm is forecast to begin as rain overnight Wednesday, January 19 into the early morning hours of Thursday, January 20.  Beginning around 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, the rain is expected to transition to snow.  Snowfall should continue through early Thursday afternoon with approximately 2-3 inches of accumulation. 
 
Public Works personnel will clear roadways during the snowfall; however, crews will not pre-treat roads since the storm is expected to begin as rain that will wash away any pre-treatment.  For your safety and the safety of Public Works personnel, please avoid walking in the street and keep your distance from Village snowplows when they are operating. As the snow falls, visibility will be reduced thereby making it difficult to see and making roadways snow covered and slippery.
 
We urge residents to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm and to expect icy conditions on walkways, sidewalks, and roads.  Following the storm, please remember to remove all accumulated snow/ice from your vehicle before traveling.
 
As always, the Village Communications Center and Police Department will remain staffed through the storm (301-654-7300).

Winter Storm Reminders

 
Parked Vehicles
Residents are asked to move vehicles off Village roadways to allow for the full width of the roadway to be cleared. If you do not have a driveway that can accommodate your vehicles, please attempt to park as close as possible to the curb adjacent to your property. In past storms, the Village Public Works Department has observed numerous vehicles that were parked a distance from the curb, which impedes the crew’s ability to clear streets and can result in vehicle damage.
 
In the Event of a Power Outage
If power is interrupted, the Village will maintain contact with PEPCO to ensure power is restored as promptly as possible; however, power restoration may be hampered as weather conditions dictate.
 
If you lose power, please contact PEPCO directly at (877) 737-2662, through PEPCO’s app (available where you download apps or at pepco.com/mobileapp), or by text alert (see below) and alert the Village Communications Center at (301) 654-7300. Residents should not assume that PEPCO knows you do not have power—every household that loses power should contact both PEPCO and the Village, which also allows us to monitor the scope of the outage.
 
NEVER touch or drive over downed utility lines. All downed utility lines are to be treated as if they are live.
 
To register and send an outage text alert to PEPCO: Text “ADD OUTAGE” to “48710” from a phone linked to your account to register for text alerts.  Once registered, during an outage simply text “Out” to “48710” to report your outage (text messaging rates apply).

In the event of a power outage, the Village Hall is available for Village residents as a warming center and to charge electrical devices (face masks required).
 
Sidewalk Clearing
Residents are responsible for clearing all ice and accumulated snow from the sidewalk(s) in front of or abutting their property within the first forty-eight (48) hours after the cessation of falling precipitation. Residents who occupy corner lots are responsible for the sidewalk in front of and on the side of their property.  Please reference the Village’s Teen List featured in the printed version of the Crier for local teens available to perform sidewalk shoveling.
 
Residents abutting Connecticut Avenue and Brookville Road are not required to clear the sections of sidewalk abutting these roadways.
 
As always, if you must travel in during the storm, please exercise extreme caution.