Seriously, today is really the calm before the storm in Washington D.C.!  Beautiful blue sky overhead our nation’s capitol with sunny and dry conditions elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic.  The weather couldn’t be more tranquil.  What a difference a day will make, though.  Big snow is on the way for D.C. as well as Baltimore and Philadelphia.

This storm will be the second biggest of the season.  The first big snow event occurred December 19-20, 2009 and because of that snow many locations have a surplus of snow this winter season.  Baltimore’s snowfall is 10″ above normal with 35″  this winter season…and more is on the way Saturday.   By the weekend, Washington D.C. could get close to topping the second snowiest winter season on record.

Forecast Breakdown:

Friday Morning: Heavy rain will start to move up the Carolina Coast and interact with a shallow layer of cold air at the surface to produce a small area of ice in western North Carolina/Virginia and southern West Virginia.

Friday: As a direct channel of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico gets pulled northward from the secondary low off the coast, it will mix with much colder air over the rest of the Mid-Atlantic states to produce snow in the afternoon with the heaviest snow falling overnight Friday.

Saturday: As the storm begins to pull out to sea and merges with the primary low west of the Appalachian Mountains the snow will slowly taper Saturday afternoon.

Sunday: The snow event will be done as winds start to back north and drier air moves in.

Unlike the last major storm, this one will move quickly and dump a crippling snowfall is a smaller area.  A cool foot or more could fall over the Delmarva Peninsula west into northern Virginia and eastern West Virginia.

Friday

Saturday

Blizzard Warnings have already been posted for south Jersey with the potential for over 18″.  This storm is sure to bring another crippling snow for the Mid-Atlantic.  Flights will be delayed even canceled, schools are already closing and ground transportation will be halted.

Kristin Clark

WeatherNation Meteorologist