It shouldn’t be a surprise, what with all this cold weather, but the waterways in and around Georgetown have frozen over. This includes the canal and the Potomac itself.
GM hasn’t had a chance (or particularly much of an inclination) to venture out and see it for himself. But Will Handsfield did:
https://twitter.com/WHands80/status/421028164371234816
He reported that as of the middle of the afternoon, the ice appeared about two inches thick and could support him. It appears that others have taken the rare opportunity to skate on the canal:
https://twitter.com/WHands80/status/421028711048441857
This is where GM will add two very important messages: First, skating on the canal is legal. But second, DON’T SKATE ON THE CANAL UNLESS YOU’VE GOT LOTS OF EXPERIENCE SKATING ON FROZEN NATURAL BODIES OF WATER! GM grew up skating on ponds and lakes, and he feels pretty comfortable judging the strength of the ice (although even he fell through from time to time). But if you aren’t, don’t risk it.
That said: Enjoy it fellow northerners! It’ll be gone by this weekend.
And everyone can enjoy the rare sight of the Potomac frozen (don’t skate on it!):
The Georgetown Metropolitan 