[ad_1]
Nearly a foot of snow and sleet will coat the D.C. region this weekend. But it won’t be a winter wonderland.
Nearly a foot of snow and sleet will coat the D.C. region this weekend. But it won’t be a winter wonderland.
The bone-chilling temperatures will stick around for Sunday, with temperatures holding in the 20s. According to WTOP meteorologist Mike Stinneford, you can expect Sunday to start with 3 to 6 inches of light fluffy snow, which will then change to sleet in the afternoon. Most areas will reach 5 to 10 inches.
Get custom alerts with the WTOP app for Apple and Android phones
Areas east and south of the District will see the highest accumulation numbers.
D.C., Maryland and Virginia have declared states of emergencies to better prepare their jurisdictions with state and federal resources.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told WTOP on Friday that the storm will likely reach “every single part of the state of Maryland.”
“There’s nothing I would have loved more after this storm than to have a 50-degree day, because then everything would melt. … That’s not what’s going to happen,” he said.
With an Arctic mass moving southeast across North America, extremely cold temperatures will settle throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Make sure to layer up and keep your gloves handy.
Looking to the big snowstorm
Overnight into Sunday, the National Weather Service said, “Given how cold the air mass is below the warm nose, (there’s) some question as to how much freezing rain there is, versus those droplets refreezing in the cold layer back into sleet.”
Sunday is when things get hairy — moderate to heavy amounts of snow will start pre-dawn and through the morning. Heavy morning snow and a mix of freezing rain and sleet moves north, making the roads hard to traverse.
This system will be high impact, with potential snowfall totals in the 5 to10 inch range or more for the immediate D.C. metro area. The National Weather Service reports that some areas could see up to 14 inches of snow and sleet accumulations, with ice buildup between one and two tenths of an inch.
Jaw-chattering temperatures in the teens could freeze and compact the snow, making it stick around longer than the D.C. area is used to.
DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia prepare
D.C.’s mayor and the governors of Virginia and Maryland have declared states of emergency, which sets several things in motion to clear roads and keep resources flowing.
“We’ve already pretreated all of our roads across the region, so we have over 14,000 lane miles pretreated,” Alex Liggett with VDOT Northern Virginia told WTOP. “That kind of helps us for the first few hours of the storm, it reduces that bonding of snow and ice to the pavement.”
Liggitt said the agency is spending Saturday organizing snowplow crews to be ready to go when the precipitation starts. “Right now they’re starting to load up their trucks, kind of staggering in so they’re not overwhelming the yards. And then we’re going to need to be staging all those trucks on the roads across Northern Virginia,” he said.
Once the snow starts, VDOT officials are being explicit to the traveling public: “Do not travel once snow begins,” Liggitt told WTOP. Snow is expected anywhere between 8 p.m. Saturday night and midnight, and he said drivers should say off the roads.
“We’re expecting this to be a multiday response and it’s going to take some time to treat and clear roads in priority order,” he said. It may take a few days for plowing to go through some Northern Virginia neighborhoods, he added.
The District has also been preparing its snow truck fleet, and is bringing on additional plows, according to Anthony Crispino, the interim director of the D.C. Department of Public Works. He told WTOP that the city has already identified and salted alleyways and if the alleys are wide enough, the city is preparing to run plows through them.
After the mayor issued a snow declaration on Friday, Crispino warns that residents and visitors need to make sure their cars are not blocking designated snow routes.
“The 24-hour (parking) grace period expires at noon today, so residents and visitors need to make sure that their cars are not on a designated snow route at noon, that’s when enforcement will go into effect,” Crispino told WTOP on Saturday.
A winter storm warning is in effect for most of the region until 4 a.m. Monday. The National Weather Service forecast the frigid temperatures will last through the beginning of next week, with more snow on the horizon for next weekend.
Power outages and dangerous roads are entirely possible, so stay up to date on regional notices and stay indoors as much as possible.
FORECAST
SATURDAY NIGHT: WINTER ALERT
Heavy Snow
Lows: 15-20
Wind Chill: 5-10
Winds: Northeast 5-10 mph
Snow begins late in the evening and picks up in intensity before midnight. Heavy snow continues through sunrise. Expect a few to several inches of fluffy, powdery snow already on the ground by the time you wake up Sunday.
SUNDAY: WINTER ALERT
Heavy AM Snow, PM Wintry Mix
Highs: 24-28
Wind Chill: 10s
Winds: Northeast 10-20 mph
By the time you wake up, there will already be a few to several inches of snow on the ground. As the day goes on, a warm layer a few thousand feet above the ground develops. This will cause sleet pellets to mix in with snowflakes, and eventually freezing rain late in the afternoon and early evening. This will cut down snow totals, especially south of the D.C. metro area. Freezing rain may lead to a quarter-inch or less of ice on surfaces, tree limbs and power lines in this area. Farther north, plan for all snow with the highest totals ranging anywhere from 12 to 15 inches. Regardless of the exact mix line, this system will be high impact for everyone. Travel will be very difficult to nearly impossible in some areas. Power outages are a possibility for areas that see more ice accumulation. Stay with the First Alert Weather Team on-air and online for updates throughout the storm.
MONDAY: COLD ALERT
Mostly Sunny
Highs: 24-29
Wind Chill: 10s
Winds: Northwest 10-20 mph
Gusts: 35-40 mph
The winter storm comes to an end, but the cold air is here to stay. Snow melt will be very difficult except for areas under direct sunshine. Road conditions will remain hazardous and likely snow and ice covered throughout the day.
CURRENT CONDITIONS
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
[ad_2]
Ciara Wells
Source link
