D.C.'s so unSuper in winter

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On Monday, six inches of snow fell, many roads were not plowed and schools were closed.

The next day was more of the same as ice blanketed the ground, schools delayed their openings, the federal government shut down early, malls closed early and some flights in and out of local airports were delayed or canceled.

The Metro had numerous delays, with some commuters waiting more than an hour in stations.

Welcome to Super Bowl Week in Washington.

It's never good when a spokesman for the D.C. Department of Transportation, Bill Rice, urges people to stay home and avoid driving or using public transportation. "If you must drive, please drive carefully," Rice said. "And the same goes for pedestrians. The sidewalks are dangerous, too."

Nothing says Washington in January like temperatures in the 20s, wind gusts of more than 40mph, ice flying off moving cars and potholes on I-95 causing miles of traffic backups.

Of course, as the week went on things got better with temperatures soaring into the low 40s Thursday. Sure it was colder yesterday, but by tomorrow, Super Bowl Sunday, the weather is supposed to be clear and a balmy 37 degrees. Never mind that it is expected to drop into the 20s when the sun goes down.

Imagine that weather scenario -- it's easy if you try -- in late January 2008 with more than 100,000 visitors in the area for the NFL's title game. That's what might have faced the NFL if, as Redskins owner Dan Snyder wanted, the Super Bowl had been awarded to FedEx Field.

How much fun do you think everyone would have?