Snow Big Deal

Here's my vote for stale story line of the week: Washington freaks out whenever a snowstorm hits--or even is predicted to hit. This used to be true about 10 years ago, when it seemed that the snow-removal policy in the D.C. metro area could be summed up in one word: melting.

Times have changed dramatically, however.

We had about three inches of slushy snow late Thursday and early Friday, and the response was completely rational: schools in much of the region were closed, the federal government opened two hours late, and many people obviously took the day off entirely. The plows were out overnight, and the major roads were treated and cleared by rush hour. Traffic in suburban Virginia moved even faster than it does on ordinary days. I'm guessing that very few people made panicked trips to the grocery store to stock up on milk and bread (but not toilet paper--that's always been a myth.)

In short, people reacted to the small amount of snow in exactly the way they should have. Sure, it's a pain for us parents when schools close or open late, but when there's even a little snow or ice on the roads--especially the smaller neighborhood streets--it's really not a good idea to have school buses ferrying children around. And sure, for those of us who grew up in the Great White North, it's irritating that some people lack experience in winter driving and can't figure out the first rule--slow down. But these are relatively minor things, and they don't change the bigger story--that Washington is getting better and better at handling the snow.