It might be a far cry from a winter storm, but ice could make for slippery roadways during Friday morning commute as rain moves in and temperatures hover around freezing — prompting some schools to issue delays.
As of 7:40 a.m., Loudoun, Fauquier and Rappahannock county public schools are closed for the day, a change in status from an earlier two-hour delay. Prince William and Stafford county public schools have announced a two-hour delay for Friday classes. See WTOP’s closings and delays page for more.
Showers will overspread the region around daybreak, with D.C.’s southern and western suburbs the most likely to see freezing rain during morning rush hour and the city itself sticking to a cold rain.
Plan for slow travel and use caution on roads and sidewalks. Look on the bright side: There’s no snow in the forecast. Not today, at least.
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“Light rain will arrive around dawn Friday with freezing rain and drizzle in western suburbs,” said NBC Washington meteorologist Steve Prinzivalli. “This could lead to slippery roads, especially those untreated roads such as bridges, overpasses, secondary roads and ramps.”
Rain will overspread the area this morning. Temperatures will be below freezing when the rain starts Appalachians → Blue Ridge, resulting in freezing rain and icy surfaces. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for this area. Drive with caution this morning. pic.twitter.com/pm6YYwX7iZ
— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) December 13, 2019
The further north and west, the slicker roads are likely to get — especially in higher elevations of Virginia and Maryland.
Both Prinzivalli and the National Weather Service agreed areas to the west of D.C. such as the Blue Ridge and Interstate 81 corridor, as well as communities such as Frederick and Purcellville, should expect icy conditions lingering into the afternoon.
“Areas of greater concern for freezing rain and ice accumulations are along and west of U.S. Route 15 from Frederick County, Maryland, southwest into western Loudoun and northern Fauquier Counties in Virginia, and all other areas to the southwest and west,” the weather service said in their Friday morning forecast discussion.
In its winter weather advisory, the National Weather Service said it expects up to one tenth of an inch of ice in those areas from around 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. before a change to plain rain.
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As for the rest of the D.C. area? “Expect a chilly rain Friday with highs near 40 degrees,” Prinzivalli said.
That storm will push north on Saturday morning, bring a warm front and cloudy and damp conditions to the region, with milder highs in the low 50s. There may be occasional showers, but the worst of the winter weather should abate for the weekend.
“By Saturday night, a low pressure center will drag a cold front through the area,” Prinzivalli said, which will bring “drier and cooler air for the second half of the weekend.” Sunday will be partly sunny and breezy, with highs near 50 but winds of 10 to 20 mph.
Prinzivalli warns that the workweek may start off with some messy weather due to a fresh low pressure system.
“We may see a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain develop Monday morning and continue into the afternoon,” he said. “As temperatures will struggle to reach the middle to upper 30s, we will have the risk of slippery travel conditions Monday into Tuesday morning.”
Check out the current conditions below:
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