6:00 AM | ***A major snowstorm - the biggest in 3 years - along with an Arctic blast; 6-10 inches of snow and single digits by late tonight***
Paul Dorian
6-Day Forecast
Today
Clouds, breezy, very cold with periods of snow developing during the morning hours, temperatures will slowly drop during the day through the 20's
Tonight
Snow continues until around midnight with total accumulations on the order of 6-10 inches, windy with considerable blowing and drifting, brutally cold with temperatures dropping into the single digits
Wednesday
Bitter cold with partial sunshine, windy, temperatures hold in the teens for highs with below zero wind chills
Wednesday Night
Brutal cold with partly cloudy skies, upper single digits for lows
Thursday
Mostly cloudy, bitter cold, maybe a few snow showers, near 20
Friday
Partly sunny, still bitter cold, near 20
Saturday
Mainly cloudy, not as harsh, low-to-mid 30’s
Sunday
Partly sunny, cold, low-to-mid 30’s
Discussion
A classic setup today for a major snowstorm in the I-95 corridor from DC-to-Boston that includes the following atmospheric features: 1) an injection of fresh bitter cold Arctic air 2) strengthening high pressure to the north 3) vigorous upper level short wave rotating around the base of a long wave trough and 4) intensifying low pressure just off the Mid-Atlantic coastline. Snow will develop in the DC metro region by the mid-to-late morning hours and will intensify noticeably within a couple hours of the start time. Snow this afternoon and evening will fall at a rate of 1-2 inches per hour as temperatures drop from through the 20's. Snow winds down by midnight with total accumulations on the order of 6-10 inches with similar amounts on the Eastern Shore. Temperatures late tonight will bottom out in the single digits and 0 degrees is not out of the question in some spots. Temperatures will only be able to rise to the middle teens on Wednesday with wind chill values below zero at times. This snow will not be the type that brings down power lines as it will become increasingly dry, fluffy and powdery. One final note, many schools will likely be closed on Wednesday given the fact that there will be bitter cold conditions plus the fact that there will be considerable overnight blowing and drifting and, finally, the snow will last well into the night.
Video
httpv://youtu.be/sigo5VMHUhs