First day of spring brings snow to D.C. area
WASHINGTON -- March weather has its ups and downs and Friday -- the first day of spring -- delivered with a cold, wet and snowy start - to be followed up with sunshine and comfortable temperatures Saturday.
A steady, heavy drizzle is expected to continue through the afternoon and into the evening rush.
However a few wet snowflakes continue to fall in Howard and Baltimore counties.
A mix of rain and wet snow is coming down for counties north of D.C - even a little sleet has been reported. But much of the region is seeing rain. The snow and rain could taper by 2 p.m. Expect drizzly conditions for the commute home this evening.
Spring officially begins at 6:45 p.m. Friday.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for areas north and west of the D.C. metro area has expired.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
A mix of rain and snow are falling at lunchtime. But the warmer temperatures mean that nothing is sticking to the roadways.
Areas to the north and west saw a few inches of accumulations this morning but much of that is expected to melt today.
In the immediate metro area, expect the mix of
snow and rain to change to back to rain by afternoon as temperatures slowly
warm. Southern and eastern suburbs will see mostly rainfall with little, if any,
accumulation.
Highs on Friday will be in the mid 30s to near 40s.
The precipitation will diminish from west to
east late Friday as the storm departs. The clouds will be rather stubborn
through Friday night before finally breaking for some sunshine Saturday.
The
start of the weekend looks great as high pressure returns to the Mid-Atlantic and temperatures will soar into the 50s Saturday.
Get the full forecast on the WTOP weather page.
TRAFFIC:
Snow to the north and west of the D.C. metro area could cause some slick conditions. Roads continue to be wet throughout the region.
CLOSINGS AND DELAYS:
Several area schools have closed or delayed classes for Friday.
Get the full list of closings and delays here: http://bit.ly/14gCnJG
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SCHOOL CLOSINGS: Jefferson County Public Schools in West Virginia are closed. http://t.co/VOkqbkyygH #WTOPclosingsMar. 20, 2015
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SCHOOL DELAYS: Frederick County Public Schools in Virginia are on a two-hour delay. http://t.co/VOkqbkyygH #WTOPclosingsMar. 20, 2015
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SCHOOL DELAYS: Warren County Public Schools are on a two-hour delay. http://t.co/VOkqbkyygH #WTOPclosingsMar. 20, 2015
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SCHOOL CLOSINGS: Berkeley County Schools in West Virginia are closed. http://t.co/VOkqbkyygH #WTOPclosingsMar. 20, 2015
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SCHOOL DELAYS: Fauquier County Public Schools are on a two-hour delay. http://t.co/VOkqbkyygH #WTOPclosingsMar. 20, 2015
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SCHOOL DELAYS: Loudoun County Public Schools are on a two-hour delay. http://t.co/VOkqbkyygH #WTOPclosingsMar. 20, 2015
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A Winter Weather Advisory goes into effect Friday morning for Montgomery, Howard and Frederick counties in Maryland and northern Fauquier and Loudoun counties in Virginia. One to three inches of wet snow is possible in these areas. A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for the counties in western Maryland where upwards of 5 inches of snow could fall.
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Check out our Live Traffic Camera Network at http://t.co/wFWBolz7L8
#MdWx #MdTraffic http://t.co/1D2csWp2jOMar. 20, 2015- Reply
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Mar. 20, 2015
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Some school systems, including Fauquier County Public Schools, are changing their status. http://t.co/VOkqbkyygH #WTOPclosingsMar. 20, 2015- Reply
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SCHOOL CLOSINGS: Warren County Public Schools are closed. This is a change. http://t.co/VOkqbkyygH #WTOPclosingsMar. 20, 2015
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Pretty snowfall in Laurel Md. Nicely done winter. Now please bugger off. @WTOP http://t.co/ZSiZ8sDJm0Mar. 20, 2015
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Happy spring! #snowday in #FrederickMd @AccuRayno @JustinWeather @capitalweather @hbwx @WTOP @TenaciousTopper http://t.co/e3g6Ofeke9Mar. 20, 2015- Reply
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Mar. 20, 2015
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Mornings such as this make it easy to stick to that #marathon recovery plan. Thick layer of slush on walks. #WTOP http://t.co/bw4C2JmLylMar. 20, 2015- Reply
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#MotherNature is going out with a blast! Enjoy the #snow
@WTOP @capitalweather @yourtake #wtop #GoodDayDC http://t.co/MxOIkwkNtIMar. 20, 2015- Reply
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SCHOOL CLOSINGS: Shenandoah County Public Schools are now closed. This is a change. http://t.co/VOkqbkyygH #WTOPclosingsMar. 20, 2015
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OPM’s voice mail oops
WASHINGTON — Federal office are open on time Friday, but you wouldn’t know that if you called the Office of Personnel Management.
OPM’s website says correctly that offices are open, but the agency’s voice-mail message says something different.
OPM says the voice-mail message saying that there’s a two-hour delay for federal workers is a mistake.
Read more on WTOP.com.
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WEATHER UPDATE 9:30 a.m.:Storm Watch 7 Meteorologist Matt Ritter says wet snow is continuing around the region, with most of it to the north and west of the D.C. metro area.There should be another inch of snow to the northern and western suburns, with most of the accumulation on grassy areas.Expect drizzle for the evening commute and damp and chilly conditions overnight.
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Here's a view of our Interactive Radar as of 10:30 a.m. The rain--snow line falls directly over D.C. Click here to view the radar.
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by Meche Martinez via twitter 3/20/2015 3:01:12 PM
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by Marybeth D Sharp via twitter 3/20/2015 3:01:19 PM
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by JL Majano via twitter 3/20/2015 3:01:31 PM
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by Ktallen via twitter 3/20/2015 3:01:36 PM
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by Penny Wise via twitter 3/20/2015 3:02:52 PM
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by Tim Drummond via twitter 3/20/2015 3:03:02 PM
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Snow after the spring equinox? Twice in 2014 and 2013. Once in 2011. Even an inch in April 2007. wtop.com/local/2015/03/…by Dave Dildine via twitter 3/20/2015 4:38:21 PM
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Rain is here with 2.5" in #FrederickMD @AccuRayno @JustinWeather @capitalweather @hbwx @WTOP @TenaciousTopper http://t.co/utLKkiLUNRMar. 20, 2015
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Wintry mix in Aspen Hill. Snow, sleet, and rain on a grey spring day. @MoCo @WTOP @suepalkafox5dc http://t.co/NXmYZdrxfSMar. 20, 2015- Reply
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Some snow totals from around the regionFrostburg, Md. 6 inchesSevern, Md. 1.9 inchesTowson, Md. 2.1 inchesNew Market, Md. 3.5 inchesEllicott City, Md. 2 inchesGermantown, Md. 2 inchesGreenbelt, Md. 1.2 inchesHagerstown, Md. 5.5 inchesArlington, Va. 0.5 inchesReagan National trace amountDulles International 0.9 inchesGreat Falls, Va. 0.6 inches