IN WASHINGTON
IN A city that lives, breathes and sleeps politics, anything can have political consequences, even a snowstorm.
The blizzards that have hit the US capital have strained the city's ability to clear icy, snow-clogged roads. And many residents are fuming over the local government's less than efficient snow removal services.
Local officials are feeling the heat from residents who are trapped in their homes, some without power. DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, in particular, has been criticised for not doing enough to clear city streets blanketed by the snow and sleet left by last week's storm before the latest blizzard hit on Tuesday evening.
Over the weekend, my husband and I trudged around the city centre and saw uprooted trees, piles of snow and slush on the sidewalks but few signs of cleaning crews.
Mr Fenty has said that the city had busted its annual US$6.2 million snow removal budget weeks ago and promised to apply for emergency funds from the federal government.
He and local officials have been trying to show they are on top of things, while urging patience from residents.
The Washington Post summed up their snow dilemma nicely: "If officials overreact, their communities could become a national laughingstock...If they act too nonchalant, they risk alienating voters...If they handle it with aplomb, hardly anyone will notice because they will have done what is expected of them.''
But even with more money and resources, human effort may count for nothing if nature does not let up.
The bad conditions have made it treacherous for repair crews to restore power to parts of the city and neighbouring Maryland and Virginia that had suffered power outages. The icy roads have also proved too dangerous for snow-plough crews to work.
On Wednesday morning, I woke up to a complete whiteout. The latest blizzard had hammered the city through the night. The Washington DC area has received a jaw-dropping 54.9 inches of snow this winter season, making this the city's snowiest winter in a century.
The city has shut down completely. Schools, government offices, shops and restaurants are closed. Airports have cancelled flights. The metro has suspended above-ground services. Public buses have stopped running. People will not be receiving any mail or packages for a few days.
The city authorities say things will get back to normal only early next week.
Meanwhile, DC residents are hunkering down at home, and have stocked up on food and supplies as if in wartime.
My husband and I made several trips to the supermarket over the weekend to pick up some food. But when we got to a popular organic supermarket, we found the fresh produce shelves almost completely empty, something we've never seen since our move to the states last year.
It was an interesting peak into the American diet under duress. I did a quick mental survey. Yoghurt, cereals, steak, pork chops, chicken, sausages, cheese, scones, prepared salads, canned corn, canned soup, frozen pizza, soda: Gone.
I grabbed some tofu, bought some fresh fish and shrimp, and loaded up on pears. My husband snatched the last few available muffins for breakfast.
Bags filled, we pulled on our scarves, gloves and hoods and began our cold, slushy trek home.