Weather Alert: Brace for snow, messy morning commute and school delays in DC area

Brace for a messy morning out there Friday in the D.C. metro area and areas south as we see this season’s first widespread snowfall. It won’t be a lot of snow, but 1 to 3 inches is possible for many areas. Several school districts have announced they’ll open late.

“It’s not the amount of snow, it’s the timing of when the snow is happening,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Chuck Bell said.

Expect snow to overtake the D.C. metro area by 8 or 9 a.m., Storm Team4 says. Snow will likely move out of the area in the late afternoon.

Snow totals will be highest south of D.C.

Snow totals map

Crews have pretreated major roads, but the snow could make for a wet and slow morning commute. In the 5 a.m. hour, News4 saw flakes sticking to Interstate 95 near Stafford, Virginia, and Virginia officials said they were treating slick spots in the Fredericksburg area. Large, fluffy flakes were also seen falling in La Plata, Maryland.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for the D.C. metro area and locations to the south starting between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. (depending on the location) and ending around 4 p.m.

However, Storm Team4 says to expect an early cancellation to the advisory as the snow ends before lunchtime for many locations.

See all weather alerts here.

Based on the timing, allow for extra travel time, and if possible, consider using public transportation or work remotely.

Here are the school closures and delays announced so far

Several school districts announced closures and delays.

In Virginia, several districts will be closed, including Fredericksburg Public Schools, Manassas Park City Schools, Orange County Schools, Page County Schools, Shenandoah County Public Schools, Spotsylvania County Schools and Stafford County Schools.

Public schools in Alexandria City, Culpeper County, Fairfax County, Fauquier County and Loudoun County will open two hours late on Friday.

In Maryland, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Calvert County Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools announced a two-hour delay on Friday.

Montgomery County Public Schools said Friday morning they would open on time, and advised the community to be extra cautious when driving or walking to bus stops.

Keep an eye on our school closings page for the latest updates.

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.

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, the Department of Public Works is hard at work ahead of what’s expected for Friday.

Crews are getting the roads ready, while residents shared mixed feelings about the expected snow. News4’s Dominique Moody reports.

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.