Morning Update: Old Man Winter Refuses to Let Up

Today: 

In the wake of a cold front that moved through last night, today looks to be cooler but also sunnier than yesterday. Conditions will be fairly breezy in the morning but winds will decrease as the day goes on as partly cloudy skies remain present throughout the day. The high will be 34. 

Tonight: 

A winter storm watch is in effect from tonight through Thursday night for Prince George’s County. This watch will likely turn into a warning by tonight because of potential impacts from an approaching storm. As for tonight though, temperatures remain fairly steady and cloud cover increases ahead of said storm. After midnight, light to moderate precipitation should begin and continue at varying rates through the night. A ridge of high pressure to our north should provide enough cold air for this initial precipitation to fall as snow. Overnight snow accumulation is expected to be between 0-1 inch. The low will be 26.  

Tomorrow (Thursday): 

This is when things will get quite messy, especially during the morning rush hour. Snowfall rates in the morning, especially between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., will be quite heavy and because the temperature will be sitting just below freezing, untreated surfaces will become very slick. Additional snow accumulation during this time may be between 2-4 inches. However, sometime in the late morning is when the changeover to mixed precipitation will begin. This means heavy rates of sleet and freezing rain will mix in with the snow until the mid-afternoon when a dry slot causes showers to become lighter and more scattered for the rest of the day. Additional snowfall accumulation during the afternoon may total between 0-1 inch. A light glaze of ice cannot be ruled out by tomorrow evening either. The high will be 32. 

Snowfall forecast from the NWS through Friday. This map puts us in the 4-6 inch range. (Image via NWS)

Tomorrow Night: 

Lingering snow, sleet, and rain showers will wrap around the backside of the storm as the center of a low pressure system moves up the eastern seaboard, though not much accumulation is expected during this time. Precipitation will remain intermittent throughout the night as temperatures once again remain steady in the upper 20s – low 30s and winds shift to the northwest.  

A Look Ahead: 

After the storm moves out Friday morning, the upcoming weekend looks to be fairly quiet with mostly sunny skies expected. The only caveat is that the temperatures on Saturday and Sunday could be the coldest we’ve faced so far this winter, so prepare to bundle up. 

Featured image via Pixabay.com