Photo by Command Z

Good morning, Washington. How beautiful was it this weekend? Sun and above-average temperatures conspired to brighten moods across the winter weary metro area, not to mention melt an appreciable amount of the snow that’s been plaguing the city’s streets and sidewalks. Fingers crossed this evening’s light rains will take care of much of the rest, because between you and me, a lot of those big snow piles are starting to get kind of … stinky. A combination of what’s presumably road grime, smog, and dog urine has congealed inside the frozen mounds to create a complex bouquet of rank.

D.C. Sues JBG Over Convention Center Hotel: Whether and when the city is able to start building its long-planned convention center hotel, what’s certain at this point is that the courts will do most of the deciding from here on out. Three previous lawsuits over the project remain pending, and D.C. has joined the fray now by filing its own suit against Chevy Chase-based developer JBG Properties Inc., Jonathan O’Connell reports in the Washington Business Journal. The District is arguing that JGB has resorted to “extortionist activities” to delay the project.

Poll: Fenty Gets Low Marks on Snow Removal: WJLA reports on a new Clarus poll that shows that 64 percent of D.C. voters think Mayor Adrian Fenty did “only a fair” or “poor” job handling February’s twin snow storms. A combined 33 percent think he did either an “excellent” or “good” job. NB: Despite the negative reaction to the snow job, Fenty’s approval rating remains the same as it was in last month’s Washington Post poll, sticking at 42 percent.

Briefly Noted: Teen shot and killed near Whittier Elementary School … Jonetta Rose Barras calls for Marion Barry to be impeached … NTSB hearing on June Red Line crash set for this week.

This Day in DCist: In 2009, we contemplated the relative healthiness of various fast food establishments, and in 2008, premier D.C. chef José Andrés announced he would he host his own Spain-themed show on PBS.