DC-area winter storm: A few flakes to start and then mostly rain — with more expected west of the District
Most D.C.-area snow lovers will likely be disappointed this weekend, as snow and freezing temperatures move out of the forecast for most of the region. However, Maryland and Virginia residents living west and northwest of the District might see a winter storm.
The National Weather Service has D.C. and the nearby suburbs as receiving less than 1 inch of snow from the upcoming storm. But the agency has issued a Winter Storm Watch, effective from Saturday morning to Saturday night, for those who a little live farther outside the District — including western Loudoun and northern Fauquier counties in Virginia and Frederick County, Maryland.
Wintry weather expected across much of the region Saturday-Saturday night. The greatest impacts from snow & ice appear to be in areas along & west of the Blue Ridge with moderate to heavy rain reducing totals further east. More: https://t.co/ZOlvEShgSf. #MDwx #VAwx #WVwx #DCwx pic.twitter.com/kwuisG707A
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) January 4, 2024
Residents of areas affected by the Winter Storm Watch can expect heavy mixed precipitation, with snow accumulation possibly in excess of five inches. Ice accumulation could top one-quarter of an inch, according to the weather service.
7News First Alert Meteorologist Brian Van de Graff said there may be a little dusting of snow on Saturday morning, most likely in the upper Montgomery and Loudoun County areas, but that it will not last long, quickly turning into rain.
“Saturday, honestly, you may see a few flakes in the late morning hours but then it’ll quickly turn to rain and I just don’t see much of anything in the immediate metro area here for us to be a big issue,” Van de Graff said.
With rain forecast to fall for several hours, “by evening, you’re not gonna see anything on the ground, maybe a little slushing,” Van de Graff said.
For the best chance for snow, Van de Graff says look west to the Interstate 81 corridor, from around the Winchester area in Virginia and up toward Frederick, Hagerstown and Cumberland in Maryland.
Closer to D.C., Leesburg in Virginia and Gaithersburg and Clarksburg in Maryland could see a few inches of snowfall, according to 7News.
Even without the possibility of much snow, Virginia Department of Transportation crews hit the highways Thursday to pretreat roads.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein spoke with officials from both Pepco and Dominion Energy. They each have their own app to report any outages and said that, as with any possible severe weather event, people should be prepared by charging their devices, putting together emergency kits and having a few days’ worth of food.
FULL FORECAST
THURSDAY EVENING:Gradual ClearingTemperatures: 40s to 30sWinds: Northwest 10-20Skies will clear this evening and winds will ease. Temperatures will fall to the 30s. THURSDAY NIGHT:Mainly Clear, ColdLows: 18-28Winds: Northwest 10 mphGusty breezes will calm into the night with chilly lows in the 30s.
FRIDAY:Partly to Mostly Sunny Highs: Around 40Winds: Northwest 5-10The week wraps up on a cold, yet sun-filled note, ahead of the weekend weather maker. SATURDAY: WINTER ALERTLight Snow/Mix to Rain (metro area)Mainly Snow (mountains)Highs: 30sWinds: Northeast 10-20, Gusts to 25 mphThe first major winter storm of the year will move across the DMV from southwest to northeast beginning early Saturday morning. Many will see light snow upon the onset because of subfreezing temperatures, especially to the southwest. The latest forecast models show warmer temperatures east of the Blue Ridge. Plan for a wintry mix transitioning quickly into a cold rain. The chance of accumulating snow, as of this writing, is VERY low along and east of I-95.SUNDAY:Partly Sunny, BreezyHighs: near 45Winds: West 10-20, Gusts to 25 mphAt this point, the robust weather maker will have already moved to the northeast. Winds will be gusty at times with highs ranging from the upper 30s to lower 40s.
WTOP’s Kate Corliss contributed to this report.