Latest Winter Storm Forecast: Timeline, Accumulation

The National Weather Service has increased its winter storm alert to the highest level in advance of heavy snow expected in the area Friday evening and Saturday.

Calling it a “high impact storm,” the weather service warns there may be life-threatening conditions, with significant travel delays and closures. Residents are encouraged to plan ahead.

Forecasters are holding back on firm estimates for snow totals, but there is the potential for far more than a foot of snow in parts of the region.

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Timeline: Snow chances begin at 7 a.m. Friday, with a few inches possible during the day. The best chance for snow — and the heaviest accumulations — is overnight and into Saturday morning. The slow-moving system may linger overnight, with chances of snow until early Sunday morning.

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Accumulation: The NWS says higher temps may create a rain/snow mix, reducing the overall accumulation, but it is not making estimates of the total yet.

Cautioning that it was still too early to guarantee the forecast The Weather Channel offered its snow total forecast.

For D.C., Weather Channel forecasters are predicting around an inch of snow on Friday, up to 8 inches Friday night, another 8 inches of snow Saturday and 3 more inches before the system leaves the region. Overall, their forecast is 12-20 inches.

In Fairfax, the overall estimate is 15-27 inches. In Fredericksburg, it’s 18-30 inches of snow before the storm has passed.

Again, The Weather Channel cautioned to continue to monitor reports, as those totals will change the closer that we get to Friday.