Before the coldest air of the season arrives on Inauguration Day, a fresh coating of snow is possible in the D.C. area.
It flings moisture into the D.C. region at the same time that cold air is arriving from the northwest.
This results in the development of cold rain that gradually changes to snow from northwest to southeast across the area.
“The models that track that storm closer to the District bring the cold air in later, resulting in a rain-to-snow scenario.
Those that track the storm farther east bring the cold air in faster and predict snow rather than rain.
The D.C could receive a new layer of snow before Inauguration Day, when the season’s coldest air arrives. area. The Arctic cold front that will move through the region on Sunday may give rise to a storm system. It may snow a few inches or none at all, depending on how it develops.
Sunday morning through early evening is when snowfall, or a combination of rain and snow, is most likely to occur. It will then be the coldest Inauguration Day since President Ronald Reagan’s in 1985 as the region is hit by the season’s coldest air.
There is considerable variation in the amount of snow that computer models predict will fall on Sunday. About 1 to 3 inches are recommended in the area by the more trustworthy models. Some outlier models, however, which cannot be completely ruled out, simulate anything from 10 inches of snow to none at all.
Regarding the precise location of the storm system’s development and the amount of moisture and cold air it will bring in, the models are struggling to agree.
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Pay attention to DdotC. location.
These are three conceivable situations.
Scenario 1: A period of snowfall with an accumulation of 1 to 3 inches (45 percent chance). Higher amounts may be possible locally.
In this scenario, a zone of low pressure develops close to North Carolina’s Outer Banks as the Arctic front pushes offshore. It throws wetness into the DdotC. concurrent with the arrival of cold air from the northwest in the area. As a result, Sunday morning through early evening will see a light to moderate snowfall.
Scenario 2: Rain turns to snow with a variety of accumulations (30 percent chance).
In this case, cold air in the wake of the Arctic front is not fully established until the storm center forms over southeast Virginia. This causes cold rain to form, which eventually turns into snow as it moves from northwest to southeast across the region.
In this scenario, after the switchover, areas to the south and southeast would receive more rain and maybe just a coating to an inch of snow, while our colder areas north and northwest of the Beltway could receive significant accumulations (over 4 inches).
Scenario 3: A chance of flurries or snow showers with little to no accumulation (25 percent chance).
The frontal front storm forms too far east of the D.C in this scenario. region (over the ocean) that experiences a lot of rainfall. There would be little chance of accumulation, but there might be a few snow showers or flurries.
Here is how much snow the models predict will fall in the District on Sunday to show how different they are.
No snow, NAM.
Canadian: About an inch, although this model predicts up to 10 inches of snow in northern Montgomery County and 7 to 5 inches at Washington Dulles International Airport by simulating the rain-snow line close to Interstate 95.
1 point 3 inches in Europe.
U. K. . Two inches.
The American is 2′ 8″.
Three inches in German.
Capital Weather Gang’s winter weather expert Wes Junker stated, “The timing of the cold air rush in as a storm organizes to the south and east is our big forecast problem.”. “A rain-to-snow scenario is produced by the models that follow that storm closer to the District, which brings the cold air in later. More easterly storm trackers bring in cold air more quickly and forecast snow instead of rain. However, we might just wind up dry and cold if the storm moves too far east and the cold air moves in too soon. “.”.
By Friday, we hope to have a better understanding of the storm’s evolution, so we’ll try our best to improve this forecast.
After the storm, the cold was icy.
It is predicted that temperatures will fall to their lowest levels since at least Christmas Eve 2022 after the storm passes. Additionally, the cold will be even worse on Sunday if there is snow accumulation.
Between Inauguration Day and Wednesday, the coldest temperatures are predicted. The presidential swearing-in ceremony on Monday might only see temperatures in the low 20s, with wind chills close to 10. Furthermore, temperatures will likely be closer to 20 degrees with wind chills in the single digits if there is a significant amount of fresh snow cover. Compared to the bitterly cold inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009, these temperatures are even lower.
Tuesday and Wednesday might see highs of no more than 25 degrees, or even 20 if there is new snow. Colder regions north and west of the District may experience subzero lows if there is fresh snow, but both mornings’ lows are likely to be in the single digits to around ten. The area-wide wind chill is likely to fall below zero.
Temperatures should gradually moderate after Wednesday, with highs of the 40s possible by the weekend of January. 25—26.