What would have normally been a 25-minute trip for President Obama’s motorcade Wednesday night lasted nearly an hour longer than usual after barely an inch of snow dusted the D.C. region.
The 15.7-mile trip from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to the White House took the presidential motorcade about an hour and 14 minutes due to the messy roadways that plagued the area after snow started to fall earlier in the evening.
Mr. Obama had originally been slated to take his private helicopter, Marine One, from Andrews to the executive mansion, but inclement weather forced his crew to deploy an SUV in lieu of the armored Cadillac usually reserved for motorcades.
Pool reporters who traveled with the motorcade reported witnessing between three and four fender-benders during the first 20 minutes of the ride, and said that vans involved in the convoy from Andrews “slipped and skidded on the icy roads,” colliding with street curbs several times during the ride.
“After nearly an hour, the motorcade vehicles started making more aggressive use of their sirens and stoplight privileges,” wrote a Reuters correspondent who provided a pool report.
Officially less than an inch of snow fell on D.C. during Wednesday’s dusting, but upwards of two feet are expected this weekend when a severe winter storm is slated to roll in Friday afternoon.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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