As someone who grew up in Poland, I’m no stranger to snow. LOTS of snow. But in DC a significant snowfall that sticks is a rare occurrence. A dusting now and then, sometimes an inch or two of accumulation that lasts a few days, maybe just one or two big snowstorms during the season – or none at all. As the Northeast is being pounded with a serious blizzard, we have been spared this time. But even though it’s a dry and sunny day here, watching dramatic images from up north makes me think of snow-covered Washington. This is a collection of photos from different years and different snowstorms, including the mother of them all – February 2010 “snowmaggedon.” Enjoy!

One of my favorite snow-related memories comes from the “snowmageddon” time when the city shut down for a week. Months before, we bought Ford’s Theatre tickets to see The Rivalry, a great play by Norman Corwin exploring Lincoln-Douglas debates. I love this historic theater and I was looking forward to the play but on the day of I had full expectation of it being cancelled. The city was brought to a virtual standstill, with federal government and most offices closed, streets unpassable, and many people without power. Yet, to my great surprise when I called Ford’s Theatre, they said the show is still on. But how would we get there? Fortunately the metro was running a limited, underground-only service. So we made our trek trough white Capitol Hill to Union Station…

Food was another concern. We had our basic supplies back home but we really wanted a dinner out to complete the experience. Unbelievably, an atmospheric French restaurant right across the street from Ford’s Theatre, Bistro d’Oc, was open! Confit de canard maison never tasted so good =)

The theater looked magical, snowflakes and all…

The play was excellent, and surprisingly well attended given the circumstances. And of course at Ford’s there is always a sensation of one more person being in the audience…

It was a glorious evening followed by an equally beautiful morning!

Read on: