Another round of precipitation that will cause more than a quarter-inch of ice to glaze the D.C. area is in the forecast for this weekend. Here’s what you need to know.
“The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory as well as a serious ice storm warning for most of the area starting tomorrow morning and running through Sunday morning,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper said. “A wintry mix will develop tomorrow during the morning and midday hours mainly in the DC Metro and locations to the south and east.”
That winter weather advisory will run from 10 a.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. Sunday for much of the D.C. region.
The accumulation of ice on power lines and tree branches could lead to some power outages.
Saturday’s storm will deliver likely ice accumulation of more than a quarter-inch, according to Storm Team4 meteorologist Chuck Bell. “Cold, sub-freezing air will be stuck here at the surface as moist air from the Gulf Coast and South runs up over the top of it.”
Bell added that untreated surfaces such as roads, sidewalks and handrails “will be glazed with ice and extremely slippery.”
“Be prepared to stay home Saturday, Saturday night and Sunday morning,” he advised.
Bell said the storm will pull away by Sunday afternoon and most of the D.C. area will be able to get at least a few degrees above freezing, “that will be critical for improving travel conditions.”
He said another winter storm, which he called a “high-impact event,” will deliver more snow and less freezing rain when it arrives Monday night into Tuesday.
Another storm “which should have more rain and less snow arrives on Thursday,” said Bell.
“This is not going to be a fun or enjoyable stretch of weather,” he warned.
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Forecast
- Friday: Mix of light snow and sleet in southern suburbs, ending in the morning. Cloudy and cold. Highs in the upper 20s to low 30s.
- Friday night: Mostly cloudy with flurries after midnight. Sleet toward daybreak. Lows in the mid 20s to low 30s.
- Saturday: Snow developing in the morning, then changing over to sleet and freezing rain. Significant icing is possible between 3-11 p.m. Highs upper 20s to lower 30s.
- Sunday: Freezing rain early, then light rain in the afternoon. Flurries possible. Highs in the mid to high 30s.
- Monday: Mostly cloudy and cold with flurries in the morning, followed by rain and snow showers. Highs in the 30s.
