DC Weather Today: Heavy Rain & High Winds Threaten Commute—Latest Forecast and Safety Tips

After a warm, damp finish to the workweek, Washington DC is staring down its most credible shot of accumulating snow so far this month. Forecast models agree that a coastal low will ripple north late Sunday, but they still disagree on exact track and moisture—leaving the District’s totals in flux. Mild lead-up • Friday: Passing showers, highs near 57 °F as a cold front slides through. • Saturday: Breezy, noticeably cooler, highs mid-40s; overnight lows slip below freezing, setting the stage for snow. Sunday storm window Moisture rides in from the southeast Sunday morning. The National Weather Service currently paints 1-3 inches for the DC-Baltimore corridor, with a bull’s-eye of 3-6 inches possible in the northern and western suburbs if the heaviest band pivots inland. Some model runs keep the low farther offshore, trimming totals to a slushy coating, while others briefly mix sleet or rain downtown before a changeover. Key timing • First flakes: 8–11 a.m. Sunday south of the Beltway, spreading north by midday. • Peak intensity: Early afternoon; snowfall rates up to 1″/hr could quickly coat untreated roads. • Tapering: After 8 p.m., lingering flurries into early Monday. Impacts and advisories Even a modest 2-inch snowfall can snarl Metro rail and I-95 traffic during holiday-shopping season. Expect winter weather advisories by Saturday night, potential school or federal schedule adjustments, and flight delays at DCA, BWI and IAD. Crews plan to pretreat major arterials Saturday once pavement temps drop. Cold snap follows Behind the storm, Arctic air dives in: Monday highs only 32-35 °F, lows in the teens downtown and single digits west of the Blue Ridge. Black-ice risk persists through Tuesday morning. A moderating trend returns mid-week with highs rebounding to the upper 40s, but forecasters are watching another southern system for the Feb. 24-25 window. Bottom line Stock up on windshield fluid, charge devices and monitor updated forecasts. While Washington often threads the needle between “nuisance” and “notable,” this event has enough cold air and moisture to merit attention—and even a few inches would be the city’s biggest snowfall since late January’s 2.4″ burst.