You might want to rethink your commute on Wednesday: The District could see a lot of snow, making for icy roads in the middle of a busy week.
There’s a winter storm warning in effect from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, courtesy of the National Weather Service. The warning predicts that 4 to 6 inches of snow and ice will cover the D.C.-area early in the morning. The snow is expected to mix with milder air, changing to hazardous sleet and freezing rain through the late afternoon and ultimately ending the day with regular rain showers.
NWS said there’s an 80 percent chance of precipitation Tuesday night, and the snow will likely begin around 4 a.m. It’ll continue falling until sometime between 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, when it’s expected to turn into sleet. There’s a 100 percent chance of precipitation with less than a 0.1 inch of ice along with new snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches, per NWS. The high for the day is near 34 degrees with east winds from 7 to 9 mph, and freezing rain may start after 4 p.m., followed by regular rain after 7 p.m., the weather service says.
Other local weather services generally agree with the forecast, with NBC Washington’s StormTeam4 estimating 2 to 4 inches of snow before the wintry mix begins south and east of D.C. in southern Maryland. Weather services also agree that areas north and west of D.C. will have to wait the longest for the snow to change into sleet. Storm Team4 warns that travel along Interstate 81 could be treacherous throughout Wednesday night and Thursday, and Capital Weather Gang adds that roads west of Interstate 95 might also get slick and snowy.
This could be the highest-impact storm since the one that hit the region Jan. 12-13, which dumped about six to 12 inches of snow in the area. The difference is that this storm is taking place mid-week, when people are en route to work and school, CWG notes. Commuters brave enough to venture out may also have deal with low visibility and roads caked with snow, so it’s important to drive carefully.
With Tuesday’s dry weather, it’s the perfect time to grab groceries, fill up your gas tank and run any other errands so you can bundle up and stay off the roads on Wednesday if possible.
