In two days, this could be you! Photograph via Shutterstock.
The National Weather Service is certain Washington is going to be hit with another snowstorm on Wednesday evening. But just how much will we get dumped on this time? The 8.2 inches of snow DC has already received this winter makes it the heaviest season since 2010-11, but it’s still far behind the record-setting 2009-10 winter, when a series of blizzards dropped 50 inches of snow on the city.
But if the most extreme forecasts are realized, we could get an avalanche on par with the January 1987 Nor’easter that left the Washington area buried under 10 to 14 inches of snow. The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang writes that the system moving toward us is forming with “many of the same features in place” as the 1987 storm, including a high-pressure system over Quebec and a low-pressure zone over the Great Lakes.
The National Weather Service’s winter storm watch has the Washington area to brace for at least five inches of snow (and possibly sleet), but the agency also says there is a 40 percent chance that the District gets at least eight inches of snow by Friday morning, and even more likely to the southwest.
Blue is the snowiest color. Map via National Weather Service.
So far, the most extraordinary response to the forecast is that American University moved its men’s basketball team’s game against Lehigh University from 7:30 PM tomorrow to 6:30. Of course, when the snow arrives, expect school closings, social media-friendly snowball fights, and restaurants and bars vying for the most ridiculous snow day special.
And when the winter panic mood returns tomorrow evening, remember: in the post-blizzard barter economy, that last half-gallon of almond milk you snatched at Whole Foods is worth three roadside flares and a pizza.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Get Ready for Another Round of Snowstorm Panic
Winter is coming, but just how much?
The National Weather Service is certain Washington is going to be hit with another snowstorm on Wednesday evening. But just how much will we get dumped on this time? The 8.2 inches of snow DC has already received this winter makes it the heaviest season since 2010-11, but it’s still far behind the record-setting 2009-10 winter, when a series of blizzards dropped 50 inches of snow on the city.
But if the most extreme forecasts are realized, we could get an avalanche on par with the January 1987 Nor’easter that left the Washington area buried under 10 to 14 inches of snow. The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang writes that the system moving toward us is forming with “many of the same features in place” as the 1987 storm, including a high-pressure system over Quebec and a low-pressure zone over the Great Lakes.
The National Weather Service’s winter storm watch has the Washington area to brace for at least five inches of snow (and possibly sleet), but the agency also says there is a 40 percent chance that the District gets at least eight inches of snow by Friday morning, and even more likely to the southwest.
So far, the most extraordinary response to the forecast is that American University moved its men’s basketball team’s game against Lehigh University from 7:30 PM tomorrow to 6:30. Of course, when the snow arrives, expect school closings, social media-friendly snowball fights, and restaurants and bars vying for the most ridiculous snow day special.
And when the winter panic mood returns tomorrow evening, remember: in the post-blizzard barter economy, that last half-gallon of almond milk you snatched at Whole Foods is worth three roadside flares and a pizza.
See also: Your kids can’t tweet their way to a snow day.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
The Missing Men of Mount Pleasant
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor
Yet Another Anti-Trump Statue Has Shown Up on the National Mall
8 Takeaways From Usha Vance’s Interview With Meghan McCain
Washingtonian Magazine
July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
Kings Dominion’s Wild New Coaster Takes Flight in Virginia
More from News & Politics
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This July
The Washington Nationals Just Fired the Manager and GM Who Led Them to a Championship. Why Has the Team Been so Bad Since?
FBI Building Now on Track to Leave DC After All, Whistleblower Leaks Texts Suggesting Justice Department Planned to Blow Off Federal Court Orders, and NPS Cuts Leave Assateague Island Without Lifeguards
Families of DC Air Disaster Victims Criticize Army’s Response, Trump Settles His Scores Via Tariff, and Police Dog Kicked at Dulles Returns to Work
This DC-Area Lawyer Wants More Americans Betting on Elections
Trump Threatens DC Takeover, Says He’d Run the City “So Good”; Supreme Court OKs Mass Federal Worker Layoffs; and You Should Go Pick Some Sunflowers
Trump Pledges Support for RFK Stadium Plan, Ben’s Chili Bowl Will Strand Us Half-Smokeless for Months, and Pediatricians Are Suing RFK Jr.
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor