6:15 AM | ****An icy mess tonight into early Thursday with plenty of freezing rain and an ice-buildup on untreated surfaces...slippery road conditions likely for the Thursday AM commute****
Paul Dorian
6-Day forecast for the Washington, D.C. metro region
Today
Mainly cloudy, cold, chance for a few snow showers possibly mixed with sleet, highs in the middle 30’s; Light and variable winds
Tonight
Sleet changes to freezing rain and there can be an icy build-up by morning on untreated surfaces, cold, lows near 30 degrees
Thursday
Mainly cloudy, cold, rain or freezing rain that changes to plain rain, watch for slippery spots during the early morning commute, near 45 degrees for late afternoon highs
Thursday Night
Mainly cloudy, cold, a bit of rain or drizzle possible, lows in the upper 30’s
Friday
Mainly sunny, breezy, colder, upper 40’s
Saturday
Becoming mainly cloudy, cold, chance of some snow and/or sleet, mid-to-upper 30’s; freezing rain or rain at night
Sunday
Becoming partly sunny, milder, near 50 degrees
Monday
Becoming mainly cloudy, breezy, colder, chance of snow, upper 30’s
Discussion
A fresh cold and dry air mass pushed into the region last night following the daytime passage of a cold frontal system. This air mass is being anchored today by strong high pressure building over New England and will help to set the stage for an icing event from early tonight into early Thursday. As moisture arrives later today or early tonight, there can be a bit of snow and/or sleet; however, precipitation is likely to change to freezing rain in the overnight hours with an icy build-up by morning on untreated surfaces; especially, across the normally colder N/W suburbs. Temperatures will struggle to rise above-freezing on Thursday morning; consequently, there will likely be slippery road conditions for the AM commute...plain rain winds down by mid-day and afternoon with temperatures should become well above the freezing mark. A similar scenario is possible this Saturday and Saturday night with a ”snow-to-sleet-to-freezing rain-to-plain rain” scenario on the table. Looking ahead, accumulating snow is likely to threaten the Mid-Atlantic region during the early-to-middle part of next week.
Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Arcfield Weather