NoVA, DC Winter Storm To Bring Snow, Ice Before Changing To Rain

VIRGINIA/DC — Moderate snow continued to fall on Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia late Sunday afternoon, with the National Weather Service forecasting a change from snow to sleet and freezing rain by early evening.

A winter weather advisory was issued until 1 a.m. on Monday for D.C., along with Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford counties in Virginia.

Former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency on Friday in preparation for the winter storm. Northam and state emergency officials conducted a joint preparation call Friday morning with Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin prior to him getting sworn in as governor on Saturday.

The Virginia State Police reported several crashes on Sunday as the snow made its way north. At about 12:05 p.m. Sunday, a tractor-trailer jackknifed and the cab disconnected from the trailer in the northbound lanes of Interstate 81 in Roanoke County, the state police said.

In the backup of traffic, there were two additional reported traffic crashes, one with minor injuries reported and the other with no reported injuries, according to police.

By 7 p.m., as temperatures climb above freezing, most of the immediate D.C. area is forecast to transition to all rain, although some areas of the western suburbs will still be seeing ice, sleet and some snow. With the transition away from snow, winds across the region will start getting stronger.

By midnight or 1 a.m. on Monday, the NWS predicts all precipitation will end for a few hours before some leftover precipitation affects the area later Monday morning.

The NWS is forecasting 2 to 3 inches of snow for D.C. and the close-in areas of Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg before the storm changes to rain Sunday evening. Western Fairfax County and parts of Loudoun County and Prince William County could see 3 to 4 inches. In western Loudoun County, the NWS expects 4-5 inches of snow to fall before the precipitation changes to rain.

According to the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang, the entire D.C. metropolitan area should be receiving rain by midnight.

During the day Sunday, the Capital Weather Gang said "areas north and west of the Beltway should see the most snow and ice, while areas from D.C. and Interstate 95 to the south and east see more ice and rain."

The Capital Weather Gang said there is a potential for several hours of ice buildup on trees, especially west and northwest of Fairfax County, along with strong winds, that could cause tree branches to fall on power lines. But widespread power outages are not expected "because temperatures will be rising and the storm will be fairly fast-moving," the Capital Weather Gang said.

Dominion Energy said its crews and contractors are being assisted by utilities as far away as Louisiana and Oklahoma to handle any power outages and downed power lines. The company has pre-staged construction and patrol resources in areas expected to be most affected.

“Our crews are ready to once again rise to any challenge this storm will bring. Customers should prepare, as well, so they can remain safe until our work is done,” Charlene Whitfield, senior vice president of Power Delivery for Dominion Energy, said in a statement Sunday.

Dominion customers can report or track an outage is using the Dominion Energy app or online at DominionEnergy.com. Customers can also call 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357) to report an outage.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is asking residents to stay off the roads for nonessential travel once the storm arrives in the area to allow its crews to clear roads. Highway crews across the state have spent the past few days pretreating roads that should help to prevent dangerous conditions similar to what led to the 24-hour traffic jam on Interstate 95 north of Fredericksburg during the Jan. 3 storm.

Here's the NWS forecast for the close-in suburbs of D.C. for the next few days after the storm:

Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph.

Monday night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 27. West wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 38. West wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 46.

Wednesday night: A chance of rain after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Thursday: A chance of snow before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 35.