Dave Sweet
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld announced Thursday the D.C. metro rail system will be shut down for the weekend in anticipation of 20-24 inches of snow.
“This is not a storm that anyone should take lightly, and I would urge all residents to plan to get to a safe place before the storm arrives Friday afternoon,” said Wiedefeld.
The metro rail system will close at 11 p.m. on Friday night and remain closed for the entirety of Saturday and Sunday. Bus service will also be suspended starting at 5 p.m. on Friday and remain so through the weekend. Wiedefeld did not specify when rail and bus service would re-open.
Wiedefeld says he considered the possibility of closing down only the stations that are above ground, but declined because of the possibility of losing power.
“With the high winds there’s a concern of power loss,” he said. “We would not want a power loss while trains are in the tunnels.”
Metro cars will be stored underground to avoid damage from the storm, according to Wiedefeld.
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(Photo: wmata.com)
