Photo by yospyn

Good morning, Washington. You know, we appreciate you coming here, sharing part of your morning with us, maybe leaving a snarky comment or two. But c’mon: what morning news could there possibly be? Not only did the federal government and Metro knuckle under before 7 last night (complete closings here), but it’s now been more than half a week since anyone could go anywhere to hold hearings or commit crimes or make media gaffes or anything else.

There is one thing that’s happened since yesterday evening: the D.C. government has finally decided to close due to the weather, for the first time during the Fenty administration. That’s it, snow: you win.

So How Bad Is It?: There are, of course, the details of the weather to discuss. Snow fell steadily through the evening, adding two to five inches to what was already on the ground in the District, then turning to sleet and freezing rain. Now we’re back to falling snow — more intense this time — which should add another three to six inches. It sounds like the precipitation will be wrapped up sometime this afternoon — but that’s when the high winds (and power outages) are scheduled to start. At the moment, the latest news is that a blizzard warning has officially been issued.

Unplowed Streets Likely to Remain That Way: The headline-grabbing piece of the D.C. government email that WTOP published yesterday was a factoid about broken snowplows. But buried a bit deeper was the news that the city was planning to “close out” the last storm at midnight, then begin plowing and salting for this storm. WJLA confirms that this means what it sounds like: DDOT is returning its attention to main roads. Those of you still waiting to be dug out from the last storm may be waiting even longer than you expected.

Virginia Assembly to Vote on Anti-Antichrist Measure: The Post reports on a law in front of the Virginia legislature that would ban the forcible implantation of microchips into humans. The bill’s sponsor, Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg), helpfully explains that some think that such devices could constitute the Mark of the Beast foretold in the Book of Revelations, and adds: “I just think you should have the right to control your own body.”

Briefly Noted: Douglas Wilder calls out Tim Kaine over latter’s tenure as DNC chair… Many who lost power during last storm still without it… Md. Republicans decline Democrats’ invitation to propose specific budget cuts… Virginia moving forward with legalizing radar detectors…

This Day In DCist: One year ago there was a big fight at Cardozo, and Marion Barry was fighting for his life — both politically and biologically.