A meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sterling, Virginia, said today’s snowfall could amount to one of the most significant totals this winter.
Brian LaSorsa said around 10:15 a.m. today the weather service is currently predicting between 4 to 8 inches for the suburbs north of Washington, D.C., including Bethesda.
“I think it’s going to be closer to 8 [inches] right now,” LaSorsa said.
He said the heaviest snow is expected to fall through 4 p.m. and then taper off between 7 and 10 p.m. The weather service has issued a winter storm warning through 7 p.m. today.
LaSorsa said that during the heavy periods snow is expected to fall at an average rate of about 1 inch per hour, but could even reach 2 inches per hour at times.
The heavy snowfall is creating treacherous driving conditions today and the Maryland State Highway Administration is warning residents to stay off the roads to allow plows to work. SHA announced it is deploying more than 2,700 workers and an estimated 2,400 pieces of equipment statewide in order to clear roads.
“If you do choose to drive, be sure your vehicle can maneuver in the snow,” SHA Administrator Melinda Peters said in a statement. “Just one abandoned car can create a traffic jam that impacts everyone, including our plow trucks.”
Earlier this morning, agencies ranging from Montgomery County Public Schools to the federal government announced they would close due to the snow.
The weather service expects temperatures to drop just below 10 degrees tonight and remain cold Friday, when a high near 26 is expected. The good news is that wind—the enemy of power lines—is expected to remain fairly calm at 10 to 15 miles per hour today, according to the weather service.
The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang is currently predicting about 5 to 10 inches of snow north of Washington, D.C.
