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The storm system that produced a rainy Sunday across the Washington region drew in enough cold air for precipitation to switch to snow in the pre-dawn hours Monday. The slushy snow even delayed a few school systems Monday morning.
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Rain switched to snow from northwest to southeast between about midnight and 2 a.m. The snow fell heavily at times through 4 a.m. Even though snow mostly accumulated on grassy areas, it came down hard enough for a bit of slush to build up on roads for a time — even well-traveled ones such as the Beltway and Interstate 66. Claps of thunder even accompanied the snow in Glen Burnie, Md.
Intense snowfall rates have allowed stickage despite marginal temperatures. 66 was a winter ？？ wonderland outside the beltway at 3AM! @VaDOTNOVA @7NewsDC @WTOP @Eileen7News @laurynricketts pic.twitter.com/giA9jbM7MA
— Brian van de Graaff (@Brian7NewsDC) December 11, 2023
GM it's snowing at Ronald Reagan Airport @Reagan_Airport @TuckerFox5 @Conthescene @MikeTFox5 @TaylorGrenda @gwenfox5dc @capitalweather @caitlinrothfox5 @weatherchannel @MatthewCappucci @JenDelgadoFOX pic.twitter.com/pMHi4l0XuU
— Corey Love (@love_corey) December 11, 2023
Remarkably, the snow followed temperatures that soared to 60 degrees between 6 and 7 p.m. Sunday before a cold front barreled through, dropping them about 25 degrees in six hours. Most places at low elevations remained at or above freezing (between about 32 and 36 degrees) as it snowed, but the flakes fell hard enough for the modest accumulation.
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From the Beltway and points east, snow totals were generally under an inch, but around 0.5 to 2.5 inches fell in colder areas to the west and north. These amounts exceeded most forecasts for just a slushy coating.
In some areas, the snow exceeded totals for all of last winter. The 0.5 inches that fell at Dulles International Airport topped the 2022-2023 winter total of 0.4 inches, for example. However, not enough snow fell to end the airport’s record-long streak without at least one inch of snow on a calendar day.
Reagan National Airport received its first accumulating snow of the season, posting a wet coating of 0.1 inches.
Here’s a roundup of area amounts (more reports are available from the National Weather Service):
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Damascus: 2.5 inches Montgomery Village: 1.8 inches North Potomac: 1.6 inches Germantown and Gaithersburg: 1.5 inches Chantilly: 1.3 inches Vienna: 1.2 inches Northwest Arlington and Manassas: 1 inch Northwest Washington (American University Park) and Silver Spring: 0.8 inches Stafford: 0.75 inches Columbia: 0.6 inches Beltsville, Bowie, Takoma Park and Springfield: 0.5 inches Dulles International Airport: 0.5 inches Herndon: 0.4 inches Fort Washington: 0.2 inches Falls Church: 0.2 inches Reagan National Airport: 0.1 inches Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport: Trace
Up to 4 inches fell in the mountains of western Virginia, West Virginia and Western Maryland.
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The snow ended between 5 and 7 a.m. as the storm system swept off to the east. Monday’s forecast calls for clearing skies but a blustery chill.
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Before the snow, the region received considerable rainfall. Although the potential for flooding did not materialize, widespread totals ranged from 1 to 3 inches.
The heaviest totals of 2 to 3 inches occurred east and southeast of the Beltway. In the area close to the Beltway, totals around 1.5 inches were most common. At the airports, rainfall totals were 1.68 inches at Reagan National, 1.77 inches at Dulles and 1.93 inches at BWI.
Below, find some snowy scenes shared with us via X, formerly known as Twitter:
#Snow monday Morning in Potomac #Maryland! @capitalweather @marykimm @Brian7NewsDC @StormHour pic.twitter.com/rH0MLaApno
— Jeannie in D.C. (@RiverGirl707) December 11, 2023
It’s 3:50am and it’s snowing quite significantly in Washington DC. @wusa9 @capitalweather @TenaciousTopper @KaitlynMcGrath #snow #weather pic.twitter.com/6Q4ThV0Isv
— Mario Vizcarra (@Mariovizcar) December 11, 2023
A bit less an hour later… pushing 1” in NW Arlington @capitalweather @accuweather pic.twitter.com/cUmcGXC1ou
— Zach Rosenthal (@z_rosenthal) December 11, 2023
@capitalweather white stuff in Oakton 4 am pic.twitter.com/9OBytkGeZq
— Erin Rodewald (@EDRodewald) December 11, 2023
Amazingly, ~1,75” of snow in Damascus, MD! @capitalweather @NWS_BaltWash pic.twitter.com/TCG5YzFkvo
— Ryan Douglas (@RDunlin) December 11, 2023
？？ ？？ sighted in Columbia, Maryland @wbaltv11 @ChuckBell4 @nbcwashington @wjz @capitalweather @DalenciaWBAL @WMAR2News @FOXBaltimore @stevechenevey @TenaciousTopper pic.twitter.com/YtQxvxYpSj
— WashSyndicate (@WashSyndicate) December 11, 2023
？@capitalweather？ Heavy wet Snow falling with claps of thunder in Glen Burnie, MD. pic.twitter.com/ZkUxHF63wZ
— TIMOTHY BUTZ (@timbutz70) December 11, 2023
It’s 3:50am and it’s snowing quite significantly in Washington DC. @wusa9 @capitalweather @TenaciousTopper @KaitlynMcGrath #snow #weather pic.twitter.com/6Q4ThV0Isv
— Mario Vizcarra (@Mariovizcar) December 11, 2023
First #snow of the season on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC! 4:11 am, 11 Dec 2023. @theHillisHome @capitalweather @DCist #WashingtonDC pic.twitter.com/xZtf2EBPvb
— Nicky Sundt (@NickySundt) December 11, 2023
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A guide to surviving winter weather Stay warm: If you’re going to be outside for extended periods on frigid days, it’s important to bundle up. Here are our tips for staying warm when it’s super cold — and some ideas for picking the best winter coat. Indoors, power outages can be a major issue this time of year too, so make sure you’re prepared for them.
Travel safe: Driving in snow? Here’s what to do if you get stuck in a winter storm — plus some winter essentials to keep in your car. If you’re riding a bike, here are our tips for staying safe in the dark and cold.
Prepare your home: If there’s a snow storm coming your way, here’s how to get your home ready for extreme cold. It’s also a good idea to make sure your phone and internet are ready for a disaster.
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