Presidents’ Day Blizzard of 2003

Presidents’ Day Blizzard of 2003

February 17, 2003

Arlington, Virginia / Washington, DC

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On Saturday, February 15, 2003, light snow began falling in the Washington, DC, area. That evening, the snow became heavier and steadier, not stopping for good until Tuesday, February 18. Snowfall totals between one and four feet were common from Virginia north to Maine and west to Iowa, and set single-storm records in Boston and Baltimore.

Just whistlin’ in snowy Dixie!

In the DC area, the storm was the biggest since the infamous Blizzard of 1996, which closed schools and government offices for an entire week, and delayed the reopening of the Federal Government after a two-month shutdown precipitated by a protracted budget battle between Congress and President Bill Clinton.


Potomac River, looking west			Roosevelt Island, with downtown DC in the background		Potomac West, wider view			Georgetown Waterfront

Yet another view of Potomac West			And still another view		Are you sick of these views yet?			Georgetown Waterfront, tighter shot
	Snow caked the Potomac River with a thick white blanket, aided by a partial freeze-over.

		Pedestrians eschew the sidewalk on the Key Bridge		Cross-country skiing in Arlington? Way!			This plow mountain is over ten feet high. Grab those skis!
Life was turned upside-down by the storm. Pedestrians outnumbered vehicles on the street, as mountains of snow were piled on the sides of the streets, blocking sidewalks.

Mountains of the white stuff at an intersection			Cars mix with plows on the Key Bridge		The George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington			Dude, where’s my car?
But despite all the traffic headaches, a massive snowfall creates peaceful scenes of serenity and beauty that is unmatched by anything you’ll see in the summer.

Arlington Gateway Park, in the Rosslyn neighborhood			Icicles hang from the side of a Rosslyn business			Pigeons now sit at park bench level			Georgetown

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