Winter is in full force in the Washington, D.C., area Friday between overnight snowfall, gusty winds and frigid cold that could turn snow into slippery ice.
A snowstorm dumped a few inches on top of streets that were already packed with snow and ice, prompting school closures and creating some messy travel conditions.
Two to 4 inches of snow were expected to fall overnight, and Storm Team4 measured 3.1 inches in Northwest D.C.
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Gaithersburg, Maryland, recorded the highest amount near D.C., 4.7 inches, according to preliminary figures from the National Weather Service. Rosslyn clocked 1.8 inches and 5.5 inches of snow fell in Winchester, Virginia.
The snowstorm is out of the region, leaving behind some hazardous travel conditions, Storm Team4 says. Here's the good news: The snow was light and fluffy, and plows have been making good progress since the snow stopped.
Weather
Latest weather forecast, live radar and weather maps for Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Storm Team4 says wind chills will be in the teens and 20s Friday, which may turn snow into slick ice.
Drive and walk carefully, especially on untreated side roads and sidewalks. Some larger roads could be treacherous too.
Smithsonian museums in the D.C. area and the National Zoo announced they are closed Friday due to the weather.
Numerous crashes were reported along Interstate 270 in Montgomery and Frederick counties overnight, Maryland State Police said. A News4 photojournalist was stuck in stand-still traffic south of Urbana for over an hour.
Friday afternoon will be gusty and frigid, with wind chills in the teens and low 20s. The windy conditions, combined with previous heavy snow, could bring down tree limbs or even power lines, the Virginia Department of Transportation Northern Virginia warned.
Snow Totals in the DC Area
Here are preliminary snow totals from the National Weather Service, as of about 9 a.m. Friday.
D.C.
American University: 3.1 inches
National Zoo: 2.9 inches
Adams Morgan: 2.5 inches
Anacostia: 2.2 inches
Maryland
Baltimore-Washington International Airport: 3 inches
Capitol Heights: 3 inches
Greenbelt: 2.5 inches
Montgomery Village: 4.5 inches
Silver Spring: 2.8 inches
Virginia
Alexandria: 2.5 inches
Dulles International Airport: 4 inches
Herndon: 5.3 inches
Reagan National Airport: 2.6 inches
Rosslyn: 1.8 inches
Closures, Delays in DC Area
The city of Alexandria suspended trash and Christmas tree pickup for the rest of the week due to the "wicked combination" of bad weather and COVID-19 cases. Trash pickup will resume next week, officials said.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management announced federal offices in the D.C. area are closed Friday.
Numerous public schools will be closed Friday, including those in D.C.; Alexandria and Manassas cities; and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Prince William and Culpeper counties in Virginia. In Maryland, Frederick, Howard and Montgomery county public schools will close. Go here for the latest school closures.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency Wednesday night ahead of the second round of snow.
“Having two bouts of snow and icy weather back to back makes it more likely communities will need additional help as they continue to recover from the first round of tree-snapping wet snow and ice that we saw Monday,” Northam said in a statement.
Metro said service on some bus routes will be suspended.
Some COVID-19 vaccination centers in Fairfax and Prince William counties and Fredericksburg, Virginia, will be closed Friday due to the weather, the Virginia Department of Health said.
Monday brought the biggest snowstorm that D.C., Maryland and Virginia have seen in years. Several school districts were closed on Thursday, and thousands of people in Northern Virginia were sitting in the dark for a fourth day. More than 100 roads remained closed in the Fredericksburg area on Wednesday.
DC-Area Weekend Forecast
After cold, ice and snow on Friday, we'll only have a brief break before round three of potentially disruptive winter weather.
Overnight into Saturday could bring some of the coldest temperatures the D.C. area has seen in three years. Lows will be about 12° to 18°, Storm Team4 says.
It’s been a while since temperatures have fallen into the teens in D.C. The last time Reagan National Airport dropped below 20° was Groundhog Day in 2019.
Saturday will have sunshine, but it will stay cold, with highs in the 30s. It's still a good day to get everything cleared off before our next wintry mess arrives on Sunday, Storm Team4 says.
There’s an 80% chance of rain Sunday, which may start as sleet or freezing rain. Rain is set to continue in the afternoon.
Another sharp cold front will arrive on Sunday night, which may change the rain back over to a brief period of snow after 10 p.m. This could potentially cause problems for the Monday morning commute. Stay with Storm Team4 for updates on that over the weekend.
Get your warm winter layers ready for next week. We’ll have biting cold temperatures and highs only in the 30s through Wednesday.
