Winter Weather Advisory Issued For NoVa Thursday Commute

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for all of the D.C. and Northern Virginia area on Thursday, meaning the morning commute is going to be problematic to say the least.

Originally, NWS had predicted that any significant snow was likely to stay west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but a new advisory issued shortly before 4 p.m. on Wednesday indicates that all of Northern Virginia, D.C., and the Maryland suburbs could get a mixture of sleet and snow with accumulation of up to an inch, and ice glaze accumulations of up to a tenth of an inch.

The advisory will be in effect from 4 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Thursday.

"Plan on slippery road and sidewalk conditions in some areas," the advisory states. "The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute."

“Thursday morning’s predicted wintry mix of precipitation will make for slippery conditions on roadways in our region and will create a headache for commuters heading to work and school,” said Ragina Cooper Averella, Public and Government Affairs Manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic, in a statement. “Roads that are slick or ice-covered can create a worst-case scenario for drivers.”

It won't be a straight snow situation: instead, expect a wintry mix that includes a lot of sleet or rain, particularly for areas east of the advisory.

It's going to be quite cold in the D.C. area Wednesday night, with lows right around the freezing point. That will make roads especially hazardous.

Thursday will be positively frigid, with highs topping out in the high 30s. Fortunately, it won't get much colder than that Thursday night, but wind gusts above 20 miles per hour will make it feel colder. Expect lots of cold rain and sleet.

That rain tapers off by early Friday morning, and it warms up a bit with highs approaching 50 degrees and leading to a relatively sunny and pleasant weekend.

(Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)