An ill-timed snowstorm snarled the Washington-area morning rush hour just as school buses merged with the traffic of Congress returning back to Capitol Hill. The underestimated amount of snow caused hours of traffic delays on the Capital Beltway.
Wintry weather conditions caused some school buses to slide off the road and made teachers late for students waiting in class. The social media backlash spurred a worldwide hashtag #closeFCPS, created by upset students calling for a day off due to the heavy snow in Northern Virginia.
But there was one Washington resident who was completely unfazed by the snowstorm headaches in the heart of the District of Columbia.
Bao Bao, the beloved 16-month-old Giant Panda cub living at the National Zoo, was playing in the snow and rolling around with her mother, Mei Xiang. It was the cub’s first time playing in the snow.
The viral video of Bao Bao’s fun united both political aisles on social media.
Valerie B. Jarrett, a senior advisor to President Obama, tweeted about the cheer Bao Bao was bringing on the wintry day in D.C.
Nothing like a little Bao Bao to brighten a dreary DC snow day: http://t.co/vZgk2EPviR @nationalzoo
— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) January 6, 2015
RNC spokesperson Raffi Williams tweeted about Bao Bao:
cc @whignewtons MT @EllieWallace: YES MT @DCist: Bao Bao playing in the snow, you guys.http://t.co/0rm1vkh4nM pic.twitter.com/8a08Vpxz9N
— Raffi Williams (@Raffiwilliams) January 6, 2015
Buzzfeed’s Chris Geidner went full CAPS about BAO BAO:
ALERT: BAO BAO ROLLING IN THE SNOW. PANDA PLAYING IN THE SNOW! http://t.co/BSPsYwrOD6 pic.twitter.com/TrQZsB4JLD
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) January 6, 2015
Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter lamented on Twitter in CAPS too “between Panda Bao Bao in the snow and Biden off the cuff I AM NEVER GOING TO GET ANY THING DONE TODAY!”
between Panda Bao Bao in the snow and Biden off the cuff I AM NEVER GOING TO GET ANY THING DONE TODAY! https://t.co/TykHz4RLDe
— amy walter (@amyewalter) January 6, 2015
POLITICO’s Ben White reminded his Twitter followers that despite the panda’s cuteness, it was a bear and joked: “given the opportunity that panda would straight up murder you.”
Tweet Bao Bao in the snow pics if you must but just know that given the opportunity that panda would straight up murder you.
— Ben White (@morningmoneyben) January 6, 2015
D.C. area weather man Devon Lucie also quipped in a newscast about Bao Bao being a wild bear.
Last year, Bao Bao was named a “power player” in Washington by Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace.