Why does the US capital quake at the sight of a snowflake?

I began writing this piece to a rhythmic “shoop, shoop, shoop” that was punctuated occasionally by the clang of metal against stone. It was the sound of snow being shovelled off public walkways and pavements as a precaution against accidental slips or scrapes, and God forbid, a civil suit for failing to keep said walkways and pavements snow and accident-free.

It was the day after the much-publicised winter storm Octavia (which occurred last Monday), that blanketed DC in, wait for it, 10cm of snow.