D.C. region residents might see a brief flurry outside their window on Wednesday morning, but don’t expect much more than that: December’s first snowfall, forecasters say, is poised to disappoint.
A moisture-starved Alberta clipper will bring light rain and wet snow to much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through Wednesday afternoon, but any precipitation should be quick before the system clears out of the area by evening.
A glimpse at the National Weather Service’s snow totals forecast showed less than an inch west of the Interstate 95 corridor — even for Maryland and Virginia’s higher elevations. Blame the prevalence of dry air and temperatures too warm for flakes to stick.
“The bottom line is that nobody will get a full inch of snow,” Storm Team4 meteorologist Chuck Bell said. “For those lucky few areas that do get a few hours of flakes, the only potential for accumulation will be on grassy areas and elevated decks.”
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A cold northwesterly breeze and a clearing sky will cause temperatures to plunge below freezing on Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Bell said drivers should be aware of possible black ice on roadways tomorrow, but a dry, northwest flow should keep it from becoming a widespread problem.
Friday gives rise to a warming trend, with Saturday poised to be the region’s second 70-degree day so far this December — albeit a damp one, with an incoming zone of low pressure bringing rainfall after noon.
Forecast:
Wednesday: Cloudy, cool and damp. Wet snow possible before noon. Periods of light rain later. Highs in the upper 30s to low 40s.
Wednesday night: Clearing skies with a chilly breeze. Seasonably cold, with lows in the mid 20s to near freezing.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the low to mid 40s.
Friday: Mostly cloudy. Dry before noon, with a few evening sprinkles. Highs in the low to mid 50s.
Saturday: Warm, windy and wet. Rain after noon. Highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s.
