The Virginia Department of Transportation began loading its trucks Saturday night to prepare for the snow.
About 500 VDOT trucks were on standby, and they could have as many as 1,700 on the road by noon if needed. They pretreated the roadways on Thursday and Friday. D.C. crews will start with elevated areas that ice over first, such as bridges and highway ramps. The Maryland Highway Administration is ready to take care of all state roads.
Metro has extra crews on duty to clear snow from rail platforms and station entrances. It promises improved service this winter and has more than 550 pieces of equipment to tackle snowfall at its stations and 20 de-icer trains ready to treat above-ground tracks.
Airplanes flew into the night Saturday, keeping close to schedule with only a few cancellations and delays, making passengers happy they chose to fly on Christmas rather than wait until Sunday.
Lisa Vasquez said goodbye to her family before returning to Miami and told us, "I actually love the snow but I think it’s better that I leave now or I may not make it. The snow’s going to be all over the place and there may be a delay in the plane leaving."
One local family greeted grandparents who flew in from Florida. They are originally from Columbia, so they aren’t used to this kind of weather.
And then there’s 3-month-old Lilly Mullen, who was returning with her parents from Chicago where she spent her first Christmas with family there. Her father, Brendan Mullen, said, "We brought the snow with us. Last night I think it was about 6 inches or so, so we probably had a foot and a half where we were on the North Shore."
Some early Sunday morning flights were canceled as of Saturday night -- flights to New York, Detroit and Minneapolis. Check your carrier if you have travel plans in the coming days.
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