4 things to know about the weather:
- Snow on the way
- 5" to 8" for most
- Mix to rain Wednesday afternoon
- Soaking rain this weekend
Ready for snow?
StormTeam4 is in Weather Alert mode Tuesday, and winter storm warnings were issued for most of the DMV, where 5"-8" of snow is likely.
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By early Tuesday afternoon, snow was falling in Burke, Virginia, Northern Virginia Bureau Reporter Drew Wilder said.
Temperatures will drop between 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Commuters, be sure to be careful on the roads. They will be slick by Tuesday afternoon and roads will be covered with snow by Tuesday night through Wednesday morning.
A winter storm warning was issued for much of the region — including the District; the city of Alexandria; Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia, and Montgomery and Prince George's counties. See all severe weather alerts here.
Several school districts have announced they will dismiss early Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday's snow is actually the easy part of this forecast. After the snow-making storm moves out, a mostly rain-making storm will be right on its heels. The bulk of the accumulating snow will be over by 5 a.m. Wednesday, but there could be a period of light snow, sleet or freezing rain between 5 a.m. and noon Wednesday, which extends the likelihood for slippery, icy roads.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Monday morning, citing a need to move resources across the state.
“I urge all Virginians to monitor your local forecast and to prepare for possible impacts to roadways and infrastructure beginning overnight Monday throughout Tuesday,” Youngkin said in a statement.
School closures and delays ahead of snow
Some school districts are closed Tuesday, while others are planning on early dismissal. Track all closings and delays here.
Most schools in the area likely will be closed Wednesday, Storm Team4 expects — and depending on the type and amount of precipitation that falls Wednesday, there also may be closures or delays Thursday.
Federal offices in the D.C. area will close at 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Office of Personnel Management said. There will be options for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework.
The northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway closed at midnight and will stay closed until further notice due to winter weather.
Snow to turn into rain on Wednesday with more rain this weekend
By Wednesday afternoon, this will become an all-rain event, with temperatures hovering in the mid-30s. About 1/2" of rain is expected to fall into the snowpack, so Wednesday afternoon into Thursday midday will make for a slushy, slippery mess on the roads.
Temperatures will climb well above 40° on Thursday afternoon as a blustery northwest wind tries to bring some sunshine back into the region. Lots of melting will happen Thursday afternoon and evening.
Unfortunately, temperatures will drop below freezing again Friday morning, raising the concerns for a refreeze on untreated surfaces. Friday afternoon will be sunny, breezy and cold, with highs staying in the mid-to-upper 30s.
Temperatures will fall below freezing again Friday night into Saturday morning — just in time for the next storm to arrive. There could be a brief period of light snow first thing Saturday morning, but everything will quickly change to all rain, lasting from noon Saturday until at least mid-afternoon Sunday.
An additional 1" to 2" of rain this weekend, falling on already saturated soil, could cause flooding issues.
Highs Saturday afternoon will reach the mid 40s, with temperatures continuing to rise to near 50° Saturday night and staying in the low-50s (with a gusty wind) for most of the day Sunday.
Weather radar
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10-day forecast

Quick Forecast
TUESDAY:
Cloudy, Cold
Snowing by Afternoon
New Snow: 2”-4”
Chance of Snow: 100%
Wind: Southeast 5-10 mph
HIGHS: 30° - 34°
TUESDAY NIGHT:
Snow Through Midnight
Additional Snow: 2"-4"
Some Ice/Sleet By Daybreak
Chance of Snow: 100%
Wind: Northeast 5-10 mph
LOWS: 30° - 33°
WEDNESDAY:
Cloudy, Cold And Wet
Wintry Mix: 4-10 AM
Only Rain After 10 AM
Chance of Snow/Rain: 100%
Wind: Northeast 5-10 mph
HIGHS: 34° - 38°
THURSDAY:
Cloudy, Wet Morning
Some Afternoon Clearing
Breezy, Lots of Melting
Wind: Northwest 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 80% (Before 11AM)
HIGHS: 42° - 50°
FRIDAY:
Mostly Sunny
Colder
Steady Breeze
Wind: Northwest 8-18 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 34° - 38°
Sunrise: 7:04 a.m. // Sunset: 5:42 p.m.
Average High: 47° // Average Low: 31°