It could be a messy morning out there Friday, as we may see this winter’s first chance for some snow. Be prepared in the D.C. metro area and in areas to the south. It won’t be a lot of snow, but it could be up to 2″ in some spots.
On Friday morning, snow likely will move into the area before the sun comes up (at the earliest, about 3 a.m.), Storm Team4 says. We’ll have snow affecting the D.C. metro area and locations to the south.
Expect a messy Friday morning commute in the metro area before it wraps up about 9 or 10 a.m.
The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement for the D.C. metro area, saying: “There is a potential for hazardous commuting conditions for the Friday morning commute. A period of light snow is possible (a 30 to 50 percent chance) Friday morning across the Baltimore/Washington D.C. metro areas with up to an inch of snow possible accumulation on untreated roadways.”
The NWS statement continues: “If this threat does materialize during the Friday morning rush hour, many roads could quickly turn icy. This could lead to dangerous traveling conditions, multiple accidents, and extensive delays.”
While it won’t be a lot of snow, again, it’ll be our first time dealing with it so far this season. Allow for extra travel time, and if possible, consider using public transportation or work remotely.
We will likely see some schools announcing delays and maybe a few cancelations soon.
Temperatures will be around 30° and only topping off in the low 30s Friday afternoon, so temps will be running about 20 degrees below normal.
By Friday afternoon and evening, there should be no more more issues out there. So for holiday parties Friday night, things should be looking just fine.
Local agencies preparing ahead of the wintry weather
In the District:
D.C. is activating an Extreme Cold Alert from Thursday at 8 p.m. through Friday at 9 a.m. If you need help or see someone in need of shelter, please call 202-399-7093 or 311. If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911. When calling, include the date and time, the address or location, and a description of the person in need. You can find info on low-barrier shelters in D.C. online here.
The District Snow Team will be deployed and will begin pretreating roads with brine Thursday at 7 p.m. and will start salting major roadways and elevated structures at midnight.
In Virginia:
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said Thursday afternoon it was pretreating major roads ahead of the wintry weather. VDOT officials are urging drivers to be careful and give road crews enough space to perform their work safely.
In Maryland:
Maryland’s State Highway Administration says pretreatment is underway. Chopper4 got a glimpse of the plows out on interstates.
In Charles County, Maryland, the Department of Public Works is hard at work ahead of what’s expected for Friday.
What about farther out from the DC metro area?
Areas such as Frederick, Washington County and far western Maryland might not get anything, but in lower Montgomery County and below, you’re going to want to allow extra time for that morning commute.
Out to the west, a winter weather advisory is in effect for the Blue Ridge Mountains around the Luray area, which could get 2″-3″ of snow Friday. Because of those higher elevations, the atmosphere can produce a little bit more snow where it’s colder there, among other factors.
There’s also a winter weather advisory in effect for the Fredericksburg area down toward King George County and areas to the south, which have the chance of 2″ of snow and possibly a little bit of some freezing rain as it all comes to an end.
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