If you’re longing for warmer days, don’t get your hopes up — the snow and ice is here to stay in the D.C. region for a quite a while. The area may see a nine-day stretch of subfreezing temperatures after a major snowstorm swept the region over the weekend.
Wednesday will bring high wind gusts during the afternoon, and another chance for snow in the evening. The bitter cold continues with highs only reaching the mid 20s.
7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whalen said snow and ice will be “slow to melt” over the next few days. Roads and sidewalks could refreeze quickly once the sun goes down, keeping travel tricky through the end of the week.
“I don’t see highs getting above 32 degrees until Monday of next week. Clouds will build heading into the evening hours and then clear overnight,” Whalen said. “Watch out again tonight for a refreeze.”
The District hasn’t seen a long streak of cold weather like this since December, 1989, Whalen said.
Bundle up in layers, especially if you’re walking anywhere. Many pedestrian walkways and paths are still being cleared.
Whalen also suggests wearing sunglasses for sunlight reflecting off the snow and to cover exposed skin to prevent frostbite and hypothermia.
Prepare for cold weather all week and maybe even another snowstorm Saturday going into Sunday.
However, Whalen says the guidance models she’s looking at keeps “the storm system offshore.”
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Metro
Metrorail service will operate on a weekend schedule, with trains running every 15 to 30 minutes. Metro said service frequency is expected to increase throughout the day.
Check WMATA’s website before traveling for route-specific service information.
Closures
Many schools and offices across the D.C. region will be closed Wednesday as cleanup from the weekend storm continues. See the full list of closures.
Forecast
TODAY:
Partly to mostly cloudy
Highs: 24-29
Winds: Northwest 5-15 mph
Day 5 of sub-freezing temperatures. Clouds will increase during the afternoon with high temperatures in the mid-20s. Similar to days past, daytime snowmelt will lead to a nighttime refreeze.
TONIGHT: COLD ALERT
Clearing skies, very cold
Temps: 5-15
Wind Chills: -10 to 0
Winds: Southwest 5 mph
A cold weather advisory has been issued overnight for feels like or wind chill below zero.
TOMORROW:
Partly Cloudy
Highs: 23-27
Winds: Northwest 5-15 mph
Cold weather advisories are likely for the morning hours with sub-zero wind-chills possible. Morning temperatures will be in the single digits to low teens with afternoon highs back into the mid-20s.
FRIDAY:
Partly Cloudy
Highs: 24-28
Winds: Northwest 5-15 mph
Single digit air temperatures are expected with sub-zero morning wind-chills. The intense cold continues with afternoon high temperatures remaining 20 degrees below average for late January.
WEEKEND OUTLOOK: The overall pattern looks favorable for a winter storm setup along the East Coast this weekend, based on how similar setups have behaved in the past. The big-picture ingredients are there — but in a pattern this sensitive, the final outcome still comes down to the details. Forecast guidance is still hinting at a more organized coastal storm, but there’s also a realistic chance it stays mostly offshore and never really locks in. That’s why the next day or two of updates will matter, as newer data helps the models handle the setup more confidently.
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