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Montgomery County Officials Announce Updates to County Services in Advance of Predicted Snow Today, Sunday, Jan. 19 MLK Birthday Celebration Postponed to Monday

For Immediate Release: Sunday, January 19, 2025

An “Extreme Cold Alert” is in place until 5 p.m. today, Sunday, Jan. 19. A Winter Storm Warning for four to six inches of snow is in effect for Northern Montgomery County until 7 p.m. this evening. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Southern Montgomery County, where two to four inches of snow are expected.

Cancellations and Service Changes

Today’s Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration at the Music Center at Strathmore has been postponed to  Monday, Jan. 20, at 4 p.m. 

Montgomery County Public Schools has canceled all school-sponsored activities and community use of buildings for today, Sunday, Jan. 19.

  • Centers will open for their regular Sunday operating hours.
  • All scheduled programs, classes and activities at Montgomery County Recreation Centers are canceled.
  • Recreation, senior and aquatic centers will open for drop-in activities only. 

Storm Operations

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has activated the Storm Operations Center (SOC) as of 8 a.m., and crews will be monitoring roadway conditions and responding as necessary. Cold temperatures will cause any snow to freeze overnight.  

Extremely cold temperatures will continue throughout the week. Roads, especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. MCDOT urges residents to stay off roadways once snowfall begins. Those who must travel should reduce speed, carry a flashlight, food and water in their vehicle, and dress warmly in case of an emergency.

MCDOT’s Ride On bus service will be operating on the regular Sunday schedule today, Jan 19. Snow-related detours and delays are likely. The U.S. 29 Flash BRT (Colesville Road/Old Columbia Pike) will use 40-foot buses in place of Flash-branded articulated buses. For more information about service delays or detours, visit RideOnBus.com. 

What to Expect

MCDOT is responsible for clearing 5,300 lane miles of County roads, including 1,608 emergency primary routes and 3,700 residential roads. Emergency primary routes are cleared first to ensure emergency vehicles can respond. Once the snow stops and emergency roads are clear, plows begin clearing residential streets. Throughout the storm, plows may begin plowing residential streets and then be called back to retreat emergency primary roads. Roads marked with numbered routes are State highway roads and maintained by the State.

It is important for residents to understand that plowing is intended to make streets passable, not to clear them to bare pavement.

Residents may see snowplows driving through neighborhoods with plows raised, due to snowpack caused by freezing temperatures. The plows are able to clear fresh snow once it accumulates to about three inches or in areas that have been broken up by salt application. However, plows cannot effectively remove solid ice, particularly during the evening and late-night hours when temperatures are at their lowest points. In these cases, MCDOT snowplow crews  raise the plow, apply salt, allow it to activate, and then return to push the ice off. This process may require several attempts. 

Where to Get Updates

Visit the County’s Snow Information Portal for snow-related updates, including information on who is responsible for clearing a roadway, tracking plow progress in your area and reporting missed streets. Before submitting clearing requests, residents are asked to wait until snow operations are officially declared complete, as indicated  at the top of the portal page.

Residents can sign up for Alert Montgomery, the County's emergency alert system. Alert Montgomery sends messages via email and/or text message to cell phones.

Utilities

Icing could also mean downed wires and power outages. The power utilities serving Montgomery County include Pepco, BG&E and First Energy. All have downloadable mobile apps for reporting power outages. Or call:

In case of water main breaks or leaks, contact the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) at 301-206-4002, by email to [email protected] or by using the WSSC Water Mobile App.

What Residents Can Do

During a period of extremely cold temperatures and snowy conditions, it is important to check on neighbors, especially older adults and those living alone. Staff from the Department of Health and Human Services and community-based partners are reaching out to unhoused individuals and urging them to seek shelter. Emergency shelters are open. Residents concerned about the well-being of someone who is unhoused can call the 24-hour Homeless Information Line at 240-907-2688. Outreach partners will attempt to locate the individual and urge them to come indoors to a shelter. If someone is seeking shelter, call the Crisis Center at 240-777-4000.

Animals should not be left outside unattended. The Animal Services team is enforcing Executive Regulation 17-17, Anti-Cruelty Conditions for Dogs and Other Pets. If you see an animal left outside that appears to be in danger, call 301-279-8000.

County residents are required to clear sidewalks alongside their properties within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm. The path must be wide enough to accommodate pedestrians and wheelchairs. The County encourages everyone to help seniors or others who may not be physically able to shovel. When shoveling, please keep snow clear from fire hydrants and make a point to shovel hydrants out with a three-foot diameter around the hydrant. Find more information at montgomerycountymd.gov/safesidewalks.

For the latest snow-related updates, visit the County's Snow Information Portal and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X @MontgomeryCoMD.

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Media Contact: Mary Anderson, 301-529-7669 or Emily DeTitta, 240-372-2282

Release ID: 25-032
Media Contact: Emily DeTitta 240-372-2282, Mary Anderson 301-529-7669
Categories: Animal Services, Executive Office, Recreation, Snow, Transportation, Volunteer