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Tag: shoveling

  • Some DC-area residents are taking dramatic steps to ‘reserve’ their parking spots – WTOP News

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    As part of the clean up process, cities have plowed public roads and families had to clear the “snowcrete” mixture from the areas around their cars. And in the days since, some have used various objects to claim their parking spots, hoping to guarantee they’re available whenever they return home.

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    Some locals are taking dramatic steps to ‘reserve’ parking spots

    It’s been nearly two weeks since the snow and sleet storm came through the D.C. region, causing traffic problems, school closures and delays that are still lingering.

    As part of the cleanup process, cities have plowed public roads and families had to clear the “snowcrete” mixture from the areas around their cars. And in the days since, some have used various objects to claim their parking spots, hoping to guarantee they’re available whenever they return home.

    It’s happening on D.C. streets from Southeast to Northwest, and in Northern Virginia neighborhoods where some residents don’t have assigned spots in parking lots.

    In some cases, people hoping to take the parking spot simply move whatever object is in their way. In others, though, verbal altercations have followed.

    “I just don’t think it’s right,” said Kevin, who lives near Eastern Market. “You can’t save a spot. I can understand your feeling, but it’s just not right. It’s a public street. I’ve been here a long time, and see people do it all the time, and it can cause problems. People can get pretty angry.”

    In Kevin’s neighborhood, spots are reserved with cones and lawn chairs. In one case, the chair had a note — don’t take the space, “because it took my daddy 2 hours to shovel this.”

    However, he said, it’s an approach that’s not always effective. Half of the time, he said, people move the objects out of the way.

    In a D.C. neighborhood near Sibley Memorial Hospital, meanwhile, Catalina Zorc said she understands the need to reserve the spot. There are several chairs on both sides of her street, and in one, there’s a large stuffed banana.

    “I appreciate their need, and they did all the work, so they’re kind of entitled to it,” Zorc said. “But at the same time, other people come and they need to park.”

    Is it legal?

    A D.C. Department of Transportation spokesman said in a statement that under city law, streets and sidewalks have to remain clear for public use.

    “While we understand why residents wish to save spots that they worked hard to clear, now that the snow emergency has been lifted for more than 48 hours, residents are strongly encouraged to remove any items left in the street that may block Snow Team operations and the public right of way,” the statement read.

    Using objects to save parking spots is a common approach that happens in cities across the country, including Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

    Mia Smith-Bynum, who chairs the Department of Family Science at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health, said people have a “psychological sense of ownership” over a parking spot they may use regularly.

    It’s human instinct, Smith-Bynum said.

    “That normal sense of psychological ownership, if not literal ownership, over the space, it intensifies when you’ve done hours and hours of labor to clear that space,” Smith-Bynum said. “And so it’s not based in anything that is necessarily rational from a legal standpoint, but I do think no matter what space you inhabit on a regular basis or that you develop an attachment to, you’re going to try to claim it.”

    In Northern Virginia, some residents have used step stools, tables and various types of chairs to reserve their spaces within parking lots. The challenge, some said, is spaces aren’t assigned.

    “I understand people wanting to keep the space if they’ve worked hard to clear it,” said Timothy Conboy, who lives in Arlington.

    Brian Hu, who has seen people use chairs and cardboard boxes, said, “It’s not really fair, even though they worked hard to clean the driveway. But it’s not their driveway, it’s the community’s shared driveway.”

    No matter where it’s happening, it’s causing strife among neighbors.

    “There’s a lot of tension,” Kevin said. “You’ve got to realize, if you’re going to move your car, there’s a chance somebody’s going to park there.”

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Scott Gelman

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  • Fairfax County is hoping you will adopt a fire hydrant during the next snowstorm – WTOP News

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    Got a little energy left over after shoveling your driveway? Fairfax County Fire and Rescue in Virginia is hoping you’ll use that shovel to help them clear a path around local fire hydrants. 

    Got a little energy left over after shoveling your driveway? Fairfax County Fire and Rescue in Virginia is hoping you’ll use that shovel to help them clear a path around fire hydrants.

    Chip Galloway, the lead Geographic Information Systems analyst with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, said their Adopt a Hydrant program lets local residents find a fire hydrant near them to take care of.

    “People are passionate about this, and they take pride in keeping their hydrant clear,” Galloway said.

    In just the last week, they’ve approved 300 new adoptions, bringing the total number to more than 840.

    And, believe it or not, there’s around 30,000 fire hydrants in the county. So there’s a lot to choose from.

    “We view this program as a simple and easy way for residents to help support the fire department’s operations,” said John Woolverton, GIS analyst with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. “We’re just hoping to gain more (participation) essentially each year.”

    When you adopt a hydrant, you’re asked to clear snow, brush and debris at least 3 feet around it.

    “If the community can help out, shaving seconds off an emergency response can make a big difference. So if you can help your community, help with clearing the hydrant on your street, it may reduce the time in order to have that emergency response,” Galloway said.

    To adopt a fire hydrant, head to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Adopt a Hydrant app, input an address and a list of available hydrants will pop up and you fill out an application.

    “There’s an automated email that you’ll receive an adoption certificate, and a thanks from the department,” Woolverton said.

    And as much as it might be tempting, they want you to stick to just cleaning and keeping the area clear.

    “We ask that people not paint their hydrant or put decorations around it. The whole purpose of this program is to maintain that the hydrant is clear,” Galloway said.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Valerie Bonk

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  • How cold is too cold for an outdoor workout, and just how dangerous is shoveling for your heart? – WTOP News

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    Even on frigid days, runners and cyclists may be out on area roads and bike paths making sure they get in a workout. For some people, the thought of braving temperatures in the teens and twenties seems dangerous, but is it?

    Even on frigid days, runners and cyclists may be out on area roads and bike paths, making sure they get in a workout. For some people, the thought of braving temperatures in the teens and twenties seems dangerous, but is it?

    “There is not necessarily a cut-off that has been defined, where we say no, don’t go out and exercise, it is not safe,” said Matt Barberio, an assistant professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Science at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University.

    However, there are some groups who need to take precautions.

    “If you are someone who has asthma or other respiratory conditions, we have extremely dry air right now, and that typically tends to exacerbate or agitate any respiratory conditions,” he said. “Those individuals will just want to communicate with their physicians about what’s best for them.”

    There are two things to watch out for in cold weather: hypothermia – when the body’s temperature drops below 95 degrees, and frostbite.

    When it comes to hypothermia, Barberio said, “You don’t really have an issue while you’re exercising, but if you do sweat and your clothes get wet; and then you stay outside for prolonged periods of time, that wet clothing could become problematic.”

    Barberio said anyone heading out into the bitter cold for a workout should pay attention to the air temperature, the wind and the “feels-like temperature,” and dress accordingly to prevent frostbite.

    He advised layering with gloves to keep hands and fingers warm. While year-round athletes may want to tough it out to get in their long runs or workouts, he said it’s important to listen to “what their bodies are telling them. If your fingers are getting very numb to the point where you’re experiencing pain in your fingertips, it’s time to go inside.”

    Wearing a hat during a run or under a bike helmet is helpful, he said. Like gloves, Barberio said, a hat is “another one of those things where it’s an easy on-off layer.”

    Cycling can generate a lot of heat, but Barberio said riders should avoid overdressing.

    “Use what your body’s telling you. If you’re getting too hot while you exercise, take the layer off until you need to put it back on,” he said.

    When coming back inside from a workout, Barberio said it’s best to let your body reacclimate to indoor temperatures before jumping into a hot shower. He also suggests some cool-down exercises to let your body adjust after your outdoor exertion.

    Severe cold, shoveling and heart attacks

    Shoveling snow is a physical activity that Barberio and Dr. Brian Choi, professor of medicine at George Washington University, said can increase the risk of a heart attack.

    “Every snowstorm, and this one was no exception, we see people that have gotten themselves into trouble shoveling snow,” Choi said, “It’s a situation that’s best avoided.”

    Choi explained that “snow shoveling is a uniquely challenging activity compared to other kinds of physical exertion.”

    Often, when people shovel snow, their bodies perform something called the Valsalva maneuver.

    “That’s where you actually hold your breath and create sort of a thoracic pressure,” Barberio said.

    In cases where people experience a cardiac infarction while shoveling, Barberio said, “typically, those people already have an underlying risk for having a heart attack anyway.”

    “We like to say that the best kind of exercise for the heart is aerobic activity, when you’re getting a lot of oxygen and continuous movement,” Choi said.

    But when lifting shovels filled with snow – especially heavy, wet snow – “that heavy lifting can really increase the resistance that your heart has to pump against, and that’s the worst kind of activity for your heart,” Choi said.

    “There’s plenty of folks out there that probably wouldn’t mind making an extra buck to shovel out your driveway or your walkway for you,” he added. “If you are unused to physical activity, I’d certainly recommend going that route as opposed to trying it on your own if you haven’t exercised in a while.”

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Kate Ryan

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  • There’s going to be lots of snow and ice to shovel this weekend. Don’t overdo it – WTOP News

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    As the D.C. region braces for significant snow and ice this weekend, doctors are urging residents to approach shoveling with caution.

    It’s been a while since the D.C. region was hit with the kind of snow and ice forecast for the upcoming weekend, and it’s exactly why doctors are now issuing warnings to not overdo it Sunday when it gets to shoveling time.

    “After big snowstorms like this, we sometimes see folks that come in for heart attacks,” said Dr. Sudip Saha, a cardiologist with Kaiser Permanente. “We tend to see more after they try to do a strenuous exercise or activity, like trying to shovel their driveway.”

    He said people who might be older, and perhaps not at the physical peaks they once were, need to be especially careful.

    “In cold environments, our blood vessels tend to constrict more, it raises our blood pressure,” Saha said.

    “And when we suddenly try to do something like shoveling snow, it could … put a lot of stress on things like our heart and our blood vessels, and these are times where it’s more likely to have a heart attack.”

    He said it’s better to think of shoveling snow like exercise. You want to warm up first, and even do some stretching — something that will get your heart rate up a bit before you bundle up and go outside.

    Saha said that normally when people exercise, “we tend to listen to our body a little more and stop when we feel tired.”

    “With snow shoveling, we oftentimes will just want to keep doing it until the job is done. So I tell folks, if they do try to shovel their own snow, to try to do it in intervals. Try to do a little bit at a time, rest and then listen to your body,” Saha said.

    He said if you feel chest pain or pressure, you shouldn’t keep shoveling. Instead, get ready to call 911.

    Other symptoms to watch out for include severe shortness of breath, lightheadedness or dizziness.

    (Another easy way to avoid all that? Find a teenager down the street looking to make some extra money.)

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    John Domen

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