Photo by Chris Rief

For a little while, it seemed as though Metro was going to brave the storm tomorrow and keep its trains running—even above ground, provide the wind speed remained below 50 miles per hour. But now, the transit agency is joining the rest of civilization in suspending its service as Hurricane Sandy whales down on the D.C. area.

Metrorail and Metrobus service will continue running tonight, with the normal closing time of midnight for trains and the scheduled end of service for bus lines. But come tomorrow, trains, buses and MetroAccess vans will be halted.

Service will be restored when Metro determines it is safe to do so, the transit agency said in a news release. Crews will be dispatched to assess any damage to the system before service resumes.