Snow is likely in D.C. Thursday -- but areas to the south could see the most accumulation.
Federal offices will be open Thursday, but employees are allowed to take unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. The D.C. government will start the day open and offer the option for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework and decide later about whether to stay open all day or close early. Local schools will also remain open.
A developing area of low pressure will pass south and east of the D.C. metro area during the day Thursday, Storm Team4 Meteorologist Tom Kierein said. It will draw in cold air from the north, as well as bring moisture toward our region causing likely accumulating snow.
A dusting to two inches of snow is possible around the metro area -- with higher amounts in southern Maryland and southwestern Virginia, said Storm Team4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer. Usually, areas north of the city would get it, too.
From 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., roads in the region mainly will be dry for the morning commute, Kammerer said.
Snow will start to fall between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., first to the south and in the D.C. area about noon. It may start as rain and turn to snow. Light accumulation is possible.
Moderate to heavy snow can be expected between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., but not much accumulation is expected in most areas, Kammerer said.
A winter storm watch was downgraded to an advisory in D.C. and parts of the suburbs. In Virginia, a winter storm warning was issued from 10 a.m. Thursday to 1 a.m. Friday for Augusta, Nelson, Albemarle, Greene, Western Highland and Eastern Highland, including the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Hightown and Monterey. Six inches or more could fall in the warned areas, Kammerer said.
However, the amount of expected snowfall could change.
This winter we've had lower than average snowfall over most of the region, Kierein said.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said it plans to pretreat 850 lane miles of "trouble spots," including areas of interstates 66, 95, 395 and the Beltway, including bridges and ramps prone to freezing.
VDOT also said it's rolling out several new tools this winters, including a web tool that shows the status of plowing in northern Virginia neighborhoods (available once it snows more than two inches); a truck-mounted weather station to gather information on road conditions, and a portable snow for commuter lots.
VDOT will also be scaling back on the salt and using brine to pretreat roads this year. Brine, which is 77 percent water and 23 percent salt, is both better the environment and less expensive, a release from the department said.
AAA shared the following tips for safe driving in the snow:
- Plan ahead and stay informed. Check weather conditions in the areas you'll be driving. Chose major routes.
- Allow extra time to get there.
- Anticipate danger. Be on the lookout for ice on bridges, snow-covered lane markings, stalled cars and poor visibility. Watch for drivers who are unprepared for changing road conditions.
- Exercise caution. Ice is most likely to form first and be slipperiest in shaded areas, bridges, overpasses and intersections.
- Improve visibility. Clear snow and ice from the entire car. Brush away snow from the hood, roof, trunk, turn signals, lights, windows, mirrors, and fender wells.
- Slow down in bad weather. Remember, posted speed limits are set for ideal road and weather conditions.
- Avoid sudden starts, stops and turns. Accelerate carefully so car wheels don't spin.
- Increase your following distance. Build in a six-second time gap. Pick a marker or sign and begin counting when the car ahead passes it: "One-thousand-one, one-thousand-two...."
- Drive with headlights on low-beam. Lights at low-beam provide better road illumination in snow and fog than do high-beams.
- Apply brakes firmly. The best technique for braking on ice or snow is "threshold" or "squeeze" braking. Apply brakes firmly to a point just short of lock-up and ease off the brake pedal slightly.
- Steady pressure is better than "pumping" the brakes. For anti-lock brakes, continuous firm braking is recommended. Refer to your owner's manual for proper procedure.
- In a skid, ease off the accelerator. Carefully steer in the direction you want the car to go and straighten the wheel as soon as the car begins to go in the desired direction.
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