Around 8am this morning, it should start snowing here in Northern Virginia:
A low pressure area moving through the Ohio Valley promised to bring the Washington area an early seasonal gift: up to three inches of snow that is expected to begin this morning and accumulate through the day.
But don’t plan on a White Christmas yet. Though the snow may be heavy in spots, dry air already in the region is expected to limit accumulation at first, while temperatures right at the borderline of freezing should keep area roadways clear.
Nevertheless, as of 5 a.m., it was snowing.
“There are reports of very fine flakes near Winchester and a couple of flakes near Ashburn,” said Steve Rogowski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office in Sterling, Va.
The storm is expected to intensify through the morning as it moves across the region, and should continue through the day, Rogowski said. Current forecasts are for accumulation of between one and three inches around the city, and from two to four inches in the suburban counties.
Low-lying dry air will cause the early snowfall to evaporate before it hits the ground, Rogowski said. As that air becomes saturated, he said, temperatures may begin to drop and the snow start to stick.
He said he expects the storm to be off and on through the day, but heavy enough in spots to complicate the afternoon rush.
Where those heavy spots will be is still uncertain, he said, and won’t be clear until the storm arrives.
I’ve got morning errands to run, but after that, it’ll be time to sit back and watch my fellow Northern Virginians panic.
December 5th, 2007 at 8:19 am
I got off the 95/495 Beltway traveling from Alexandria VA to Rockville MD at 7:30 AM after leaving at 6 AM, and saw at least 15 separate accidents. The Beltway was very treacherous after about 6:15 AM. The problem was that there was no treatment of the roadway with sand or salt, and with tempetures below freezing, what was hitting the road was freezing instantly. I found it hard to believe with several days of warning about this storm that their was not treatment at all.