NoVA Prepares For Up To 7 Inches Of Snow; 11 Crashes Reported Amid Hazardous Roads

Updated at 4:30 p.m.:

VIRGINIA — Northern Virginia is beginning to see snow accumulation from the latest winter storm, more than 300 crashes have been reported across the Commonwealth and the evening commute conditions are "rapidly deteriorating," the National Weather Service said. Most areas immediately outside Washington, D.C., will see 4 to 7 inches of snow by Wednesday.

Moderate to heavy snow will blanket the area by 5 p.m. and continue through Tuesday evening, the agency said. Snowfall rates around 1 to 2 inches per hour are expected. The heavy snow will combine with falling temperatures and rapidly stick on all surfaces during the evening commute.

"If you are traveling, drive slowly and leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you," the NWS said. "Be prepared for snow-covered roads."

"Moderate to heavy snow is heading toward the northeast and will impact the D.C. metro area within the next hour," the Weather Service said about 4: 15 p.m. "One- to 2-inch per hour rates are possible as this snow band pushes through. If you are travelling, be prepared for snow-covered roads."

Snowfall in many parts of the region began Tuesday afternoon. The National Weather Service said moderate to heavy snow will appear by 5 p.m. and continue through the evening, with rates up to 1 or 2 inches per hour. Loudoun County is forecast to get 3 to 6 total inches of snow, while other Northern Virginia counties and cities are expected to get 4 to 7 inches.

Plummeting temperatures combined with the snow will create hazardous road conditions for the Tuesday evening commute, according to forecasters.

"The heavy snow will combine with falling temperatures and rapidly stick on all surfaces during the evening commute," the National Weather Service said. "If you are traveling, drive slowly and leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Be prepared for snow covered roads."

The Virginia State Police said at 4 p.m. that since midnight there have been 305 crashes, with 24 injuries reported with no fatalities. In the Virginia State Police’s Fairfax Division, covering much of northern Virginia, there have been 11 crashes with two injuries.

Drivers should stay off the roads during the storm and allow the Virginia Department of Transportation and other emergency crews more space to work, state police said.

Previous reporting as follows:

According to The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang, snow will advance from the southwest to the northeast between noon and 5 p.m. Tuesday. It will first approach the Capital Beltway area around 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and bring little accumulation as it starts. From 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., snowfall will get heavier, particularly after dusk and to the south of D.C.

Forecasters believe sleet will appear at times, especially south and southeast of the Capital Beltway.

The Capital Weather Gang expects a reprieve from the snow before dawn on Wednesday. From 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., forecasters expect "lingering patches of light snow, freezing drizzle or drizzle." A wintry mix could reappear Wednesday afternoon, with sleet and freezing rain between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday. The mix will transition to rain from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., but colder areas north and west of the Capital Beltway could see a more gradual change from the sleet and freezing rain.

The winter storm warning is in effect from 1 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday in Fairfax County, Arlington County, Falls Church, Stafford County, northwest, central and southeast Prince William County, Manassas, Manassas Park, eastern and western Loudoun County and more areas.

According to AccuWeather, the winter storm is affecting a portion of the U.S. from the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys to the Mid-Atlantic coast, including D.C., Philadelphia and New York City. Forecasters say D.C. is in the area where moderate snowfall could accumulate, but "a pocket of heavier snow" — 6 to 12 inches — could come to northern parts of Virginia and eastern West Virginia.

The winter storm will make D.C. have higher than average snowfall for the season, AccuWeather says. The seasonal total as of Monday was 8.4 inches, and more snow could put the city above the historical average of 8.6 inches recorded at Reagan National Airport.

Related: Operating Status Altered Feb. 11 For DC Federal Offices: OPM