WINTER STORM JONAS

It appears winter storm Jonas is shaping up to be a significant event for our area...

From WTOP:

WED

32° F

25° F

Snow showers

THU

37° F

25° F

A few clouds

FRI

33° F

28° F

A few afternoon snow showers

SAT

32° F

29° F

Snow and windy

SUN

38° F

17° F

Snow showers in the morning

MON

41° F

33° F

Partly cloudy

TUE

46° F

31° F

More clouds than sun

Weather from NBC Storm Team 4 — Updated 10:20 a.m. Jan. 20, 2016

UPDATE: A Blizzard Watch will be in effect for the D.C. region beginning Friday afternoon and lasting through late late Saturday night. The National Weather Service says heavy snow and wind are expected with the potential for  more than a foot of snow. Blowing snow will cause hazardous conditions and will be a threat to life and property. Travel is expected to be severely limited if not impossible during the height of the storm Friday night and Saturday. Visibility will be reduced to near zero at times due to whiteout conditions.

 
Communities covered by the Blizzard Watch include:
Alexandria
Arlington
Anne Arundel County
Baltimore County
Calvert County
Carroll County
D.C.
Fairfax County/Falls Church
Frederick County, Maryland
Howard County
Loudoun County
Montgomery County
Prince Georges County
Prince William County/Manassas/Manassas Park
St. Mary’s County
Spotsylvania
Stafford

Winchester, Martinsburg and Hagerstown are all under a Winter Storm Watch.
 
EARLIER:
Lots of talk about the impending winter storm, but we have to get through Wednesday and Thursday first. Clouds will increase during the day Thursday as an Alberta Clipper races in our direction. Like most clippers, this one has little moisture to work with and will not have a big impact on your plans. Snow flurries will be possible from 4-11 p.m. with little or no accumulation. This clipper will pass by around midnight allowing our skies to clear out a bit by Thursday morning. Temperatures will get to right around 32° before falling back in to the low/mid 20s Thursday night. Thursday will be the “calm before the storm.” Partly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 30s without that biting wind we’ve been dealing with. Thursday will be the day to get everything done before the winter storm arrives.

Friday will start out with increasing clouds and snow moving in quickly. Temperatures should be at or below freezing just about everywhere so this will start out, and stay, an all-snow event from the D.C. Metro area, northward to Pennsylvania and westward into the mountains. There could be a small amount of rain at the onset in southern Maryland but that will be the exception — not the rule. The first inch (of many more to come) should be down by noon and snow will be piling up faster as Friday night turns into Saturday. The wind will also increase rapidly Friday night leading to blizzard conditions by Saturday morning.

The D.C. Metro could easily pick up 12″ (or more) of blowing and drifting snow. Upper Montgomery County and the higher terrain from Dulles Airport and westward could easily get 18″ or more! This will be an historic event. Travel will be nearly impossible all day Saturday. People should plan to stay home except for the most dire emergencies. Snowfall totals are likely to average 16-24″ area wide by Sunday morning. The sun should come out late Sunday allowing the long, slow melting process to begin. Fasten your seatbelts — it’s gonna be a rough around here from noon Friday until sunrise Sunday.