WASHINGTON — (CNN) As a major blizzard blankets the Northeast and parts of the South, people caught in the storm are trying to make the best of a snowy situation.
Those who did not get stranded on roads woke up on Saturday to piles of snow. Many got a day off from work, including the pandas at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington after it closed Friday due to severe weather.
Luckily for the rest of us, the Panda Cam stayed active, offering an irresistible view of giant panda Tian Tian rolling in the snow.
Classes were canceled for many schools in the region affected by the storm, which means a snow weekend for some lucky students. Jon McIlvaine, a residential learning coordinator for one of the largest residence halls at Virginia Tech, spent Friday morning shoveling snow from the hall’s entrances.
After that, McIlvaine and his pup Theo ran around in the freshly fallen powder. “I had a little bit of time to play with my dog while everyone was still asleep,” he said.
To fend off the cold and remain productive, Amy Saxon White’s husband shoveled snow in a full-body dinosaur suit in Fort Campbell, Tennessee. Hopefully they’re not experiencing cabin fever.
As snow blanketed the nation’s capital, law enforcement relaxed a no-sledding policy on the U.S. Capitol grounds. Previously, sledders were shooed away due to security concerns. U.S. Capitol Police reminded D.C. residents that sledding is now allowed as long as conditions are safe, thanks to a provision of the congressional budget agreement passed in December that made people’s sledding dreams come true.
Some Northern cities seem to be virtually rolling their eyes at the multiple Southern states, such as Georgia and Virginia, declaring states of emergency over the approaching blizzard. An unknown writer on the Erie, Pennsylvania, Facebook page penned an open letter to Washington, D.C. The unamused Northerner said Washington’s decision to shut down the city was “humorous,” and the inevitable raiding of milk and bread from supermarket shelves was “darn cute.”
In case you didn’t know, Erie was ranked fifth in record-setting snowfall from 2013 through 2014, totaling 140 inches that year.
However, it’s not all fun and games for some sports fans. With snowfall in Southern cities such as Nashville, Little Rock and Charlotte, one has to wonder what’s going to happen to the NFL playoff game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers. Jason Bastian, who works for the Panthers, snapped a photo of the football stadium in Charlotte totally blanketed in fresh powder.
In all seriousness, please stay safe out there. If you’re enjoying the long snow weekend, share your photos by tagging them #CNNWeather on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. (Photo: National Zoo)
