Winter Storm Arrives In DC, NoVA With Cold Rain Changing To Snow

VIRGINIA/DC — After starting off as rain Wednesday evening, a winter storm moving through Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., is expected to change to snow Thursday morning, with accumulations of 1 inch in the immediate area and possibly 2 inches in the western suburbs.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory on Wednesday that is scheduled to remain in effect until 1 p.m. Thursday.

“When venturing outside, watch your first few steps taken on steps, sidewalks, and driveways, which could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury,” the NWS said.

Areas in the western suburbs, including western Loudoun County, are already seeing snow, while closer-in suburbs and D.C. are expected to see the transition to snow between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

The winter storm led school districts in Northern Virginia to adjust their schedules, with Arlington Public Schools, Falls Church City Public Schools and Loudoun County Public Schools closing on Thursday and Alexandria City Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools and Prince William County Public Schools choosing to switch to virtual learning for the day.

All federal offices in the D.C. region will be opening with a two-hour delay on Thursday, according to an alert from the Office of Personnel Management. Federal employees who are eligible may take unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework on Thursday. Otherwise, all employees are expected to report to work within two hours of their scheduled arrival time.

When the snow arrives in the closer-in suburbs and D.C., it could be a "quick burst of snow" that will end by midday, according to the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang.

"Snow accumulation will probably only be around a coating to an inch due to later start," the Capital Weather Gang said. "Snow may briefly reduce visibility and cause a few slick spots mid-to-late morning, but most accumulation on grassy areas."

Chuck Bell, meteorologist with NBC4, said the change to snow is taking a little longer — by an hour or two — than originally forecast. "That little delay will likely limit most snow totals to 2" or less," he wrote in a tweet.

Looking ahead to the weekend, another winter storm is expected to produce only a trace of snow in D.C. and Northern Virginia on Friday night and Saturday morning.

But the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for southeast Virginia from late Thursday through Saturday morning. The region could see total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches by the end of the storm on Saturday.

Here's the NWS forecast for D.C. and Northern Virginia over the next several days:

Thursday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 16. North wind 6 to 8 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26.

Friday night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17.

Saturday: A slight chance of snow before 1 p.m. Sunny, with a high near 31.

Saturday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 37.

Sunday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 35.

Monday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37.