People paying a premium to find way out of D.C. before next snow

WASHINGTON — A $20 cab ride to the airport skyrocketed to the "snow rate" of $100 in the nation's capital, and those travelers who could get to the airport or train station still had to haggle or wait in long lines to escape the snowbound Mid-Atlantic.

The most pressing matter: get out before another foot or more of the white stuff comes today.

"I'm done with city, urban snow life," said Chris Vaughan, a Washington resident who was able to re-book a flight to go skiing in Utah. He dodged the pricey cab fare by having a friend drop him off at the airport — in exchange for a bottle of wine.

The region had nearly 3 feet of snow in some areas. One scientist said if all the snow that fell on the East Coast were melted, it would fill 12 million Olympic swimming pools or 30,000 Empire State buildings. Philadelphia and Washington each need just a little more than 9 inches to give the cities their snowiest winters since 1884, the first year records were kept.

Forecasters predicted the snow would start this afternoon and continue into Wednesday. Airlines warned travelers more flights would be canceled, and the new storm was expected to hit a wider area, affecting travel in New York and Boston.

Sharon Lewis of Bowie, Md., was desperate to spend time with family in Trinidad. She bargained for an hour and got a flight to New York's LaGuardia Airport. But it came with caveat, she would then would have to drive across town in rush hour traffic to make a connecting flight at John F. Kennedy airport within an hour.

"I don't know how that's going to happen," she said. "It'll be a disaster."

On Craigslist, owners of four-wheel drive vehicles were selling rides to residents in northern Virginia and the Maryland suburbs. One classified ad read: "Stay safe on icy streets — 4x4 Tahoe available."

Union Station was bustling with long lines as many passengers decided to try Amtrak after flights were canceled.

The storm closed schools and some 230,000 federal workers in Washington had Monday and today off. Power was still out for tens of thousands of homes and businesses.

The snowbound U.S. Senate met for a few minutes Monday to recess for 24 hours.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, wearing a V-neck sweater over his usual shirt and tie, said it was difficult to make it to work because many of the streets were still not clear and the subway system was running on a limited basis. Virginia Democrat Mark Warner gaveled the chamber in and out of session. The third senator present was newly sworn in Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown.