* Winter weather advisories for areas along and west of Interstate 95 Saturday morning and afternoon | Wind advisory from 6 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday *
9:45 p.m. — High confidence in raging winds and heavy snow Saturday morning; blizzard warning for the Blue Ridge mountains
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After reviewing the evening model data, we’re holding firm with our snow amount forecast displayed in the map above. However, we want to emphasize a couple things:
Conditions are likely to be extremely hazardous for 2 to 3 hours Saturday morning (between about 8 and 11 a.m.) amid rain changing to sleet and heavy snow and VERY strong winds -- gusting to 40 to 50 mph. This will mean very low visibility and poor travel conditions irrespective of how much the snow is sticking to the roads. Snowfall rates may briefly top an inch per hour and we would advise not traveling if possible. A blizzard warning has been issued for the Blue Ridge mountains between 3 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday for 5 to 10 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 55 mph. Travel will be difficult to impossible here.
We did consider increasing our snowfall forecast for areas along and east of Interstate 95 but the evening models suggest our call of a coating to 2 inches is probably still okay here just because temperatures may not cool fast enough for a lot of accumulation.
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This will be our last update for this evening. Our next forecast will post at 5 a.m. and we’ll provide regular updates shortly thereafter.
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3:45 p.m. — Winter weather advisory expanded to cover I-95 corridor — “brief near blizzard conditions are possible”; wind advisory issued for much of region
The National Weather Service has expanded the winter weather advisory, previously covering Washington’s far west and northwest suburbs, to include the Interstate 95 corridor and the District. The advisory is in effect from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday due to the combination of snow and high winds, gusting up to 45 to 55 mph. The Weather Service is now predicting up to 2 to 4 inches of snow (up from 1 to 3 inches in earlier forecasts) in the advisory area (Capital Weather Gang’s snowfall forecast, shown above, is unchanged).
The Weather Service advisory says it expects the steadiest snowfall Saturday morning. “Visibility may be reduced to below one-quarter mile at times,” it states. “Brief near blizzard conditions are possible between 8 and 11 a.m.”
A wind advisory was also issued for the region from 6 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday for gusts up to 55 mph. The strongest winds are probable in the afternoon and early evening.
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects,” the Weather Service states. “Tree limbs could be blown down. Several power outages may result.”
Original article from 1:50 p.m.
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A powerful cold front and accompanying storm will turn spring back to winter in the Washington region Saturday, with rain changing to a burst of snow in the morning. Conditions will change rapidly throughout the day amid plummeting temperatures and strong, gusty winds.
Anywhere from a coating to a few inches could fall across the area through midafternoon, when the snow should taper off. There is the potential for a heavy burst of snow in the morning. While some snow will melt initially due to air and ground temperatures above freezing, we can’t rule out slushy accumulation, even on the roads if it snows hard enough.
Intense East Coast storm to unleash snow, strong winds through Saturday
Even when and where snow doesn’t stick much, it may limit visibility making for impaired driving conditions — particularly between the morning and early afternoon.
The heaviest snow amounts are anticipated in our colder areas north and west of the District, where rain will change to snow first and temperatures will fall fastest. In these areas, up to a few inches are possible.
Along and just east of Interstate 95, a coating to an inch or two is most probable, mainly on grassy areas as air and ground temperatures will be a little milder and the transition from rain to snow will occur later than in areas to the west.
Temperatures, in the 40s to near 50 before dawn, will rapidly fall to near freezing during the morning and into the upper 20s in the afternoon. It will also be very windy, with gusts up to 35 to 45 mph, making it feel even colder.
Saturday night will be bitter — the coldest in about a month — with lows in the upper teens and low 20s and wind chills near 10 degrees. Any lingering wet or slushy areas from snowfall during the day will refreeze.
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Should Reagan National Airport pick up at least 1.4 inches of snow, it would bring the seasonal total to exactly average (13.7 inches). March snow is not unusual; the District averages 2 inches during the month. However, the previous two Marches were snowless.
As we wrote on Thursday, this wintry blast should not bother the cherry blossoms as the buds are not yet advanced enough to be substantially harmed by the cold.
How will the cherry blossoms fare amid cold and snow Saturday?
While a winter weather advisory is currently only in effect for our far west and northwest suburbs, we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s expanded eastward toward the Interstate 95 corridor.
Accumulations
The reason we’ve increased our snowfall predictions compared to previous days is because “models trended east with the storm track allowing cold air to spread over the region more quickly,” said Wes Junker, Capital Weather Gang’s winter weather expert. “That raises our chances of seeing accumulating snow on Saturday, even east of the city.
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He added: “If the snow falls heavily enough as the temperature fall below freezing some slick spots could develop on roads and especially on bridges, ramps and overpasses. We’ve played amounts conservatively because March sun is so strong that it usually requires the snow to fall heavily for it to accumulate.”
The accumulation forecast is a tricky one since rain will be turning to snow with temperatures initially above freezing. A certain amount of the snow will melt due to the mild air and ground temperatures coupled with the high March sun angle (especially toward midday).
If all of the snow were to stick, computer models project about 2 to 6 inches would fall. However, we would expect to lose at least half that much due to melting and that’s reflected in our accumulation forecast. Models which take into account melting project more like 1 to 3 inches.
Temperatures should fall enough, assuming snow falls steadily, for at least light accumulations, especially in our colder areas north and west of downtown. This will be an elevation-dependent snowfall — meaning amounts should increase as you get into hillier terrain west and northwest of the Beltway.
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Snow may have a hard time accumulating in areas near the Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay and downtown Washington, where temperatures tend to be mildest. However, a slushy accumulation is possible if it snows particularly hard in these areas.
Models do show the potential for a heavy burst of snow some time between sunrise and late morning. Our accumulation forecast is dependent on that materializing; if it does not, amounts will be on the low end of forecasts. If the snow burst overperforms and is enduring, our forecast could be too conservative.
Our snowfall forecast is pretty consistent with the National Weather Service’s, which we think is solid.
Timeline
1 to 4 a.m. — Rain showers develop, brief downpours. Temperatures: 45 to 50. Light winds.
4 to 7 a.m. — Rain, changing to sleet and snow west of Interstate 95. Temperatures: Falling into the 30s to near 40. Wind gusts 20-40 mph, highest in western areas.
7 to 10 a.m. — Rain and sleet turns to snow everywhere. Precipitation may be heavy. Temperatures: Falling to 30 to 35, lowest in western areas. Wind gusts 30 to 50 mph.
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10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Snow, possibly heavy before noon. Temperatures: 30 to 33 degrees. Wind gusts 25 to 40 mph.
1 to 4 p.m. — Snow tapers off west to east. Temperatures: Upper 20s and low 30s. Wind gusts 30 to 45 mph.
Impacts
On Capital Weather Gang’s winter storm impact scale, this event rates as a Category 1 out of 5 “nuisance” event, with a short period of difficult travel conditions probable. Additionally, some flight delays are likely at the region’s airports.
These are reasons you should avoid traveling Saturday morning and use caution during the afternoon and evening:
Temperatures will be falling and snow could fall heavily for a couple of hours — especially around midmorning — so slick spots and low visibility are certainly possible, especially in our colder areas. Visibility will be further worsened by gusty winds, over 40 mph at times while snow is falling. After the snow ends midafternoon Saturday, temperatures will fall further, meaning leftover wet and slushy areas will freeze at night. Use care on untreated roads and walkways. Wind gusts over 40 mph Saturday afternoon and early evening could cause a few power outages.
Still, several factors will limit the storm’s overall effect on the region:
It’s occurring on a Saturday when school is out and traffic is generally lighter. The duration will be relatively short — with the worst conditions probably between about 8 a.m. and midday. Above freezing air and ground temperatures will initially reduce how much snow sticks. Any snow that falls during the middle of the day and early afternoon Saturday will have a hard time accumulating unless it’s heavy due to the high March sun angle. However, the intensity of snow should be diminishing around that time.