Snow In Herndon: What We're Likely To Get This Weekend

Yes, perhaps we D.C.-area residents get a little bit excited about the snow -- anyone visiting from Minnesota or Buffalo is probably rolling their eyes over how we react to a few flakes entering the forecast. But considering we almost never have a White Christmas because of what little snowfall we get in December, we can be forgiven for being interested in any new forecast that calls for snow -- including one that suggests it could happen as early as this weekend.

So will we really get snow, and just what can we expect later this week? Here's a breakdown of what to expect.

Will it really snow?

That all depends. If we're talking at least a few snowflakes, the chances are pretty good. If we're talking about at least an inch of snow, well, that's looking pretty unlikely. The Capital Weather Gang places the likelihood of an inch or more at a 1 on a scale of 1-10. Not great. But, that could change as the week rolls along.

When will it start?

The best chance for some snow activity would be Friday night as well as some isolated instances over the weekend. After that, Tuesday would be the best bet, as another potential "disturbance" moves through the area with a chance of some light snow as temperatures stay very low.

How much snow do we usually get in December?

Not much. Forecasters are calling for snowfall totals in the high teens and potentially above 20 inches this winter in the D.C. area, but most of that likely will be in the January and February months. About 75 percent of average snowfall comes during those months. On average, we get about 2.3 inches of snow in December.

The biggest December snow storm in D.C. history happened Dec. 18-19 in 2009, when 16.4 inches of the white stuff was dumped on the city. You'd have to go back to 1908, 1932, and 1957 to find other snowfall totals in December over 10 inches.

What's the weather looking like for this week, and for the rest of this month?

CWG expects this to be our last warm day before winter comes roaring in. Temperatures will reach into the 60s, and we should have some showers tonight. The mercury will drop on Thursday through Sunday, and it will remain that way until perhaps Christmas and beyond. So even if we fail to get snow this weekend, it may only be a matter of time this month.

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