The D.C.
Metropolitan area experienced it’s first glimpse of winter this morning as snow
blanketed the region. This clipper was predicted to produce snow totals around
1-2 inches with more snow in the northern and western suburbs, but this clipper
over performed and brought with it up to 5 inches in some areas. The storm
began around 5 A.M. this morning. The snow continued to fall until about noon
before it began to taper off. The official snowfall total at Reagan National
Airport was 2.4 inches.
This storm was
caused by a weak area of low pressure called an Alberta clipper. “Alberta
clippers” are storms that have a tendency to dive south from central Canada and
then cross southeast through the northern Plains. The clipper then travels
through the Ohio Valley and into the Atlantic Ocean. Clippers differ from
coastal lows (nor’ easters) because they are relatively weak regions of low
pressure. Since they are quick and lack oceanic moisture, they generally do not
produce a lot of snow. Clippers usually produce only a dusting to an inch of
snow.
With this storm
brought a messy morning commute. The Virginia Department of
Transportation (VDOT) prepared with over 500 plows on the road. VDOT also began
pretreating the roads last night. Although VDOT was prepared, many side streets
were not plowed and were hard to navigate through this morning.
With only a couple inches in the forecast, many school systems decided to open on time today, most notably Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Many people took to social media to express their frustration. At one point, “#closefcps” was trending worldwide. FCPS later released a statement apologizing for opening schools this morning. The roads did begin to clear up the afternoon as temperatures rose slightly, making the afternoon commute a little less hectic.
For those who did get to stay home and enjoy the snow, it was quite a pretty scene outside. The storm produced a fluffy snow, which results from very cold associated air mass and low moisture content air. This type of snow is not the best for building snowmen and making snowballs, but it is easy to shovel.
The snow should stick around for a few days because temperatures are about to plummet. The high for Wednesday is around 28 degrees with wind chills in the single digits. This cold pattern is going to continue for the rest of the week. The good news (or bad news, depending on if you like snow) is that the rest of the week should remain sunny. However, I advise everyone to remain cautious if you plan on heading out tonight or tomorrow morning, as many side roads have still not been treated. With temperatures dropping quickly, these roads will quickly become slick again.
For those who did get to stay home and enjoy the snow, it was quite a pretty scene outside. The storm produced a fluffy snow, which results from very cold associated air mass and low moisture content air. This type of snow is not the best for building snowmen and making snowballs, but it is easy to shovel.
The snow should stick around for a few days because temperatures are about to plummet. The high for Wednesday is around 28 degrees with wind chills in the single digits. This cold pattern is going to continue for the rest of the week. The good news (or bad news, depending on if you like snow) is that the rest of the week should remain sunny. However, I advise everyone to remain cautious if you plan on heading out tonight or tomorrow morning, as many side roads have still not been treated. With temperatures dropping quickly, these roads will quickly become slick again.
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