Snowstorm brought 'extremely difficult' travel to DC, Baltimore

A major storm unfolded across the central United States this weekend, burying communities in up to a foot of snow, while others were glazed with a layer of dangerous ice. As the storm moved east from the Ohio Valley and across the mid-Atlantic, slippery conditions and difficult travel persisted through Monday evening.

This past weekend, "AccuWeather snow experts became increasingly concerned about dangerous travel impacts from heavy snow across parts of the mid-Atlantic, including Washington, D.C., and the Baltimore metropolitan areas," said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter.

Porter warned that extremely heavy snow "falling at the rate of 1-2 inches per hour, coinciding with the first full morning commute after the holiday season, would bring dangerous travel."

Both cities received 6 to locally 12 inches of snow, making it the first major storm for these metro areas in three years.

Accumulating snow was predicted as far south as Virginia and as far north as central Pennsylvania, Ohio and New Jersey. Other major metro areas such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh had a few inches of accumulation.

"When it is snowing that fast a rate, despite the best efforts of road crews, it is difficult to keep up with the accumulation and keep roads clear of snow," Porter warned. "We've seen similar situations in the past catch people off guard who aren't prepared for the impacts, leading to ‘highway chaos' including multiple-vehicle pileups and traffic jams, which have resulted in major interstates being shut down for hours."

"Even as the heaviest and steadiest snow moved off the mid-Atlantic coast Monday night, a zone of intermittent snow will extend from the Ohio Valley and the central Appalachians to the I-95 corridor," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "As temperatures plummet into Tuesday morning, any untreated wet and slushy areas will freeze, adding to hazards on roads, sidewalks and parking lots."

Travel difficulties were extensive across parts of Kentucky, central and southern Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. In these areas, precipitation fell mostly as freezing rain and sleet for a time, adding to the slippery conditions. The ice portion of the storm was winded down Monday afternoon.

Icy surfaces are known to cause spinouts, crashes, travel disruptions and road closures. Power outages were also be a major concern.

According to PowerOutage.us, over 200,000 customers across the states of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia and Virginia remain without power as of Tuesday morning.

"Some places will have snow and ice then switch back to snow. That's a bad combination. Heavy snow and ice accretion can bring down tree limbs and power lines," AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin warned.

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The cold air following the storm will be significant, with temperatures forecast to dip well below the historical average for early January. The lingering cold is likely to continue the travel difficulties well past Monday morning.

"While the worst travel impacts will occur during the peak of the storm, difficult travel can continue in parts of the mid-Atlantic well after the storm into Monday night, with temperatures falling into the 20s, which can result in wet areas becoming icy," said Porter.

Combined with the gusty winds, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will dive down into the single digits and teens, making it feel even colder for the Tuesday morning commute.

Persistent cold air is forecast to continue behind the storm, keeping temperatures near or below freezing from northern Virginia on north, perhaps through the whole week. The sub-freezing temperatures could make for slower cleanup following the storm and may delay power restoration in locations without electricity. The chilly air rushing over the Great Lakes will also produce more lake-effect snow as the week continues.

With the lingering cold, residents should watch for more wintry weather. AccuWeather meteorologists are already expecting a new winter storm that will spread snow and ice from Texas to the Ohio Valley late this week to the mid-Atlantic and perhaps New England this weekend.

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