Maybe this time! (Photo by Rebecca Schley)

With a high temperature of just 27 degrees today, it’s certainly cold enough in D.C. today to get some of that powdery white stuff that accompanies most winters. It’s been more than two years since there was more than two inches of snow on the ground here and now, in the middle of the coldest stretch of days since 2009, the time is ripe for a fresh coating.

At least, that’s what the latest forecast is. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for D.C. this afternoon, claiming a 70 percent chance of precipitation beginning Thursday morning about 1 a.m. But don’t expect much: the NWS forecast only predicts half an inch of snow at most.

The Capital Weather Gang forecasts some areas south of the District could see a bit more snowfall, perhaps up to two inches. But based on past predictions of snow—like last week’s—excuse us if we listen to this one with disbelief.

The District government, though, isn’t as jaded. The Department of Public Works and District Department of Transportation are deploying 190 snow plows around the city tonight to coat major roads ahead of any snowy conditions with a concoction of brine and beet juice. And now that it’s actually below freezing, the pre-treatment could actually be meaningful.

“Unlike previous snow events this season, roadway temperatures are well below freezing so snow likely will be on the ground when the morning rush hour gets underway,” DPW director William O. Howland Jr. said in a news release. “We want motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to be especially cautious as they travel throughout the District in the early morning.”

Still, we’ll believe it when we see some actual snowy buildup.