Photo by ep_jhu

Mayor Muriel Bowser has authorized the full deployment of the snow team ahead of a possible 1-2 inches of precipitation tonight.

Crews will head out at midnight when a forecasted rain could change to snow. And with temperatures in the low 30s, patches of ice may form. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory until 10 a.m. on Friday.

The city was caught flatfooted several days before Jonas/Snowzilla/whatever name we settled on. Predictions for a dusting turned into more like 2 inches which turned into several hours of traffic delays. The next day—as she was preparing the city for the huge storm ahead—Bowser apologized for the mess.

This time, it seems, she’s not taking any chances. Nearly 200 plows will be sent to bridges, overpasses, freeways, major thoroughfares, and residential streets to spread salt and keep an eye on conditions. They’ll stay out there “until the threat of snow has passed,” according to the Department of Public Works.

The city urges drivers to be careful and ditch their cars for public transportation, if possible. Homeowners and businesses are also asked to treat their sidewalks tonight.