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Tag: snowcrete

  • ‘That’s crazy’: Mountain of ‘snowcrete’ built at RFK parking lot – WTOP News

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    A snow pile 20 feet tall and as big as two football fields has created a “snowcrete” glacier at RFK Stadium parking lot six.

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    Mountain of ‘snowcrete’ built at RFK parking lot

    While the grounds of the old RFK stadium site no longer host the pregame cheers and rituals of game-day attendees, the area is now home to a growing pile of “snowcrete,” the nickname given to hardened layers of snow and ice that covered much of the D.C. region.

    At the site of parking lot six, residents in the area can spot a 20-foot-tall snow pile that is as big as two football fields.

    A social media post from D.C.’s Department of Transportation explained how such a massive snow pile was created.

    The post detailed that every 24 hours, 900 dump trucks packed with snow from the streets, schools and intersections from around D.C. would be taken to sites across the city.

    During a visit to the site, WTOP spoke to residents who lived close by and were taking in the view for themselves.

    “You see just constant trucks coming and going all day long, especially at night as well,” Maggie said. “Unfortunately, it’s all of the dirty black snow so it’s not the beautiful mountains of white snow.”

    Along with Maggie was Robbie Harden, who was much more impressed with the parking lot glacier.

    “The coolest part is when you actually get up there. It’s like, literally, you look like you’re at the top of Everest,” Harden said. “They pack it in — the piles of snow — that high on all directions. That’s crazy.”

    Harden brought his Doberman pinscher Bubba with him. Spoiler alert: Bubba loves it.

    “He was jumping up there with me. I mean, the dogs, it’s like a whole playground with them,” Harden said.

    It’s good Bubba likes the massive snow pile, because Harden believes it’s going to be around for a while.

    “Probably, it’s gonna be May and there’s still going to be clumps of snow out there,” Harden joked.

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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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    Jimmy Alexander

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  • What the DC region is doing with the ‘snowcrete’ it’s hauling off the streets – WTOP News

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    Arlington County crews worked nonstop for days after a major snowstorm, hauling truckloads of snow as sleet and freezing temperatures complicated cleanup efforts across roads, sidewalks and bus stops.

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    How the DC region is handling ‘snowcrete’

    In response to the recent snowstorm, crews in Arlington, Virginia, worked 12-hour shifts for seven straight days before scaling back continuous operations.

    Ever since, they’ve been working to get roads, sidewalks and bus stops clear, according to Jeremy Hassan, bureau chief for Water, Sewers and Streets in Arlington County.

    The county, Hassan told WTOP, is responsible for clearing about 1,000 lane miles in response to winter weather — that includes turn lanes, bike lanes and bridges.

    As part of the cleanup effort, neighborhoods across the D.C. region have been confronted with a choice — haul the snow away, or push it toward the curbs or parking lots, and hope temperatures inch closer to seasonal averages so it eventually melts.

    “Some of our drivers that have been doing this for 10 or 20 years, it’s even unique to them, because it’s not something that you can really train for, prepare for. They were, on the fly, making adjustments to handle it as best you can,” Hassan said.

    In Arlington, crews have been hauling it to a handful of predetermined locations. The list includes parking lots and other facilities, but time management and convenience are considered, because of the number of trips that have to be made.

    In some cases, such as near the county courthouse, hardpack snow is piled up and closing a stretch of the street.

    In other locations, Hassan said, there are snow-melters operating around the clock. It’s the first time in a decade the county has had to use the equipment.

    “Day and night, 24/7, we had to haul over 5,000 truckloads of materials from our commercial corridors,” Hassan said. “And even then, there’s still material out there that we’re trying to prioritize and find that good balance of, what’s enough to get the community out there to be able to enjoy businesses, make their medical appointments, take their family where they need to be; but also try to hope that Mother Nature … helps us kind of takes its part of that as well.”

    Some of the drop-off sites are at full capacity, Hassan said, adding, “Once we’re out there plowing, it gets to a point of where we’ve kind of maximized our efficiency of where we can push things.”

    The storm presented unique challenges, he said, because sleet came after the snow, almost creating “a skating rink on top of six inches of fluffy snow.”

    Plows are effective in pushing material off streets, but their strength is limited once it freezes, Hassan said.

    “So now, when you’re hitting it with that plow, it adds weight, it adds resistance, and they’re trying to push it to the sides,” he said. “Also, it moves in chunks versus fluffy snow, which is more like just sand and material you could push it out to the sides.”

    While the county has prioritized commercial corridors, with a lot of pedestrians and on-street parking, “you’re kind of limited where you push it, because the businesses are trying to push it closer to the street and the sidewalk. We’re pushing it to the street, and that pile just accumulates,” Hassan said.

    “In those areas, the only other option when you get to a certain point is to remove it physically, which calls for drastic hauling operations,” he added.

    The work will continue, Hassan said, until students can safely navigate bus stops, and county drivers find intersections and traffic patterns that are “looking good.”

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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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  • ‘Snowcrete’ has humans struggling. Wildlife? Not so much – WTOP News

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    If you’re wondering whether you should feed the wild animals you see wandering over the crusty snow in your yard, the answer is no.

    If you’re wondering whether you should feed the wild animals you see wandering over the icy snow in your yard, the answer is no.

    “Folks often feel a need to do something to support the wildlife,” John Burke, natural resources branch manager with the Fairfax County Park Authority, told WTOP. “(But) keep in mind that all of these critters are well adapted to survive in the conditions that we’re experiencing now, and sometimes much colder.”

    Many mammals rely on fat reserves to keep themselves warm and sustain them through the winter.

    “We might pack on a few pounds during the holidays; mammals do the same thing ahead of time,” Burke said.

    Deer can make do by eating some pretty boring meals.

    “They can survive well off of the types of plants that we find in this area that you may not consider to be particularly nourishing: twigs, bit of branches, things like that,” Burke said.

    As for gray squirrels, they hide food in many places, not just on the ground.

    “They’ll also huddle up, slow down, not spend a lot of time expending energy; and in some cases, gather communally in their dens or dreys to keep each other warm,” Burke said.

    It’s not necessary to put out bird feeders in the winter, but if you must, Burke said the feeders need to be well kept.

    “It’s really important that seed be kept clean, and that the bird feeders are cleaned once every couple of weeks with a 10% bleach solution,” he said.

    Burke strongly discouraged anyone from feeding wild animals and pointed out that it’s illegal in many places.

    “It can help spread diseases. It can get these animals used to being around people which can sometimes be dangerous, and generally because these animals can fend for themselves during the winter and survive quite well,” he said.

    Bottom line: if you’re worried about the creatures outside your window, Burke said, don’t be.

    “There’s really nothing we need to be doing, just observing and enjoying their presence. We should be seeing a lot more activity here come spring,” he 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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    Michelle Basch

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