After starting out as rain, clumpy wet snowflakes began falling Sunday afternoon in the D.C. area. While it’s not sticking in most spots in the metro area yet, accumulating snow is expected later Sunday into Monday and is expected to lead to rough travel conditions.
Be careful if you’re going to be out driving Sunday evening. Snow will rapidly accumulate and travel conditions were expected to deteriorate after sunset as temperatures fall.
Multiple school districts announced two-hour delays, and some closure announcements are beginning to come in as the evening continues.
Snowfall could total 2-6 inches in the D.C. metro area, and more to the east, before the snow ends on Monday.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser deployed the District Snow Team and was set to begin treating major roadways on Sunday afternoon.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of preparedness and warned residents to avoid travel if possible.
This coastal storm has put 63 million people across the country under weather alerts.
Cancellations and delays being announced for Monday
Multiple school systems have already announced two-hour delays for Monday, including D.C., Alexandria and Prince George’s County.
Montgomery County, Charles County, Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Prince William County and Arlington County said schools will be closed Monday.
Some school districts warned that delays could turn into closures, depending on conditions.
Prince George’s County school officials told families: “We are closely monitoring the weather forecast for Monday; any change to the status of schools will be announced by 5 a.m. If Monday is designated as a Virtual Education Day, families are encouraged to review virtual learning guidance so students are prepared to connect and continue learning.”
Here’s our full list of closures and delays.
The Office of Personnel Management also announced federal offices in the D.C. area will be opening on a two-hour delay and is giving employees the option for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework.
Dozens of flights in and out of the D.C. area have also been canceled, according to FlightAware.
Weather radar
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What to know about blizzard and winter storm warnings
If you live east of D.C., in areas such as Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s or St. Mary’s counties, you have a higher likelihood of seeing higher amounts of snow.
A winter storm warning has been issued for parts of the DMV region, including:
- Anne Arundel, Calvert, Frederick, Howard and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland
- Clarke, Fauquier and Loudoun counties in Virginia
A winter weather advisory is in effect for D.C. and the surrounding suburbs.
See a full list of weather alerts here.
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for coastal areas, including Maryland’s beaches. Roughly 26 million people from coastal Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut and New York are under blizzard warnings, NBC News reports.
Snow to melt in the coming days
The good news: This storm will be very different than last month’s, which left residents across the D.C. area battling “snowcrete” for weeks. We’re not expecting significant impacts beyond Monday.
By Monday afternoon, the snow is expected to melt as temperatures stay in the upper 30s.
Highs will likely reach the 50s on Wednesday and Thursday, melting whatever snow is left.