Icy Conditions Possible in DC as Freezing Fog and Rain Trail First Snow
There’s a growing chance for more wintry weather Friday night, this time featuring freezing fog and freezing rain after the snowfall that blanketed the D.C. region earlier in the day.
Much of the area picked up between 1 and 3 inches of snow Friday morning, marking the first measurable December snowfall in the region since 2017.
Along with the risk of freezing rain, drizzle, and freezing fog after sunset, the National Weather Service warns that wet spots left behind by the earlier snow could refreeze and create slick conditions.
“Newly issued winter weather advisories aren’t for additional snowfall tonight, but for the threat of freezing fog and mist overnight, which could coat the region in a thin layer of ice, reduce visibility and lead to slick roads,” said 7News First Alert Meteorologist Mark Peña.
He noted that driving conditions could become “really treacherous” as freezing fog develops overnight.
“Thankfully the fog mixes out by the mid-morning hours,” Peña said of Saturday’s forecast.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the D.C. region beginning at 7 p.m. Friday and lasting until 1 a.m. Saturday.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the 20s, meaning any snow still on the ground will stick around — and may refreeze — through Saturday, especially in areas affected by freezing fog.
“Be safe, drive slow and careful,” said Warnique West, a snow coordinator with the D.C. Department of Public Works.
How much snow actually fell?
A surge of cold air Thursday night ushered in the first snow of the season early Friday morning — even though winter doesn’t officially begin for two more weeks.
Snowfall totals varied across the region, with some locations seeing up to 3 inches. Here are several unofficial reports from the National Weather Service:
- La Plata, Maryland: 3 inches (2:30 p.m.)
- Stafford, Virginia: 3 inches (11:55 a.m.)
- Fair Oaks, Virginia: 2 inches (12:49 p.m.)
- Culpeper County, Virginia: 2 inches (3 p.m.)
- Catholic University, D.C.: 1.8 inches (2:14 p.m.)
- Rosslyn, Virginia: 1.7 inches (11 a.m.)
- Gaithersburg, Maryland: 1.5 inches (11:28 a.m.)
- Aspen Hill, Maryland: 1.5 inches (12:45 p.m.)
- Upper Marlboro, Maryland: 1.4 inches (2:30 p.m.)
- American University, D.C.: 1.1 inches (11 a.m.)
- Reagan National Airport, Virginia: 1.1 inches (10 a.m.)
- Dulles International Airport, Virginia: 1.1 inches (10:12 a.m.)
- Laurel, Maryland: 1 inch (12 p.m.)
