Washington, D.C

Early snowfall expected Saturday before shift to rain across DC region

Published

6 months ago

January 3, 2024

Early snowfall expected Saturday before shift to rain across DC region

DC snow forecast: First significant snowfall of season expected Saturday

A slushy mix of snow could be on the ground by Saturday afternoon as the Washington, D.C. area prepares for its first significant snowfall of the season.

BETHESDA, Md. (FOX 5 DC) – The FOX 5 Weather Team has been closely monitoring a winter storm that is expected to impact the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Saturday and Sunday.

With new data and projections coming in, what are our latest expectations? Let’s dive in!

As for timing, the latest projections are now leaning towards a faster overall storm. This means one that begins earlier on Saturday, as early as the middle morning hours, but one that wraps up faster as well.

Most projections show the storm leaving our region before the midnight hour on Saturday night.

This would leave Sunday as a cold and windy, but dry, day for any clean-up or digging out that parts of our region will have to do in its wake.

With the timing of the storm itself coming better into focus, the issue then becomes hammering out the details of what that means for the storm.

Typically, the coldest part of the day is just before dawn, while the warmest is in the middle of the afternoon. This means that the earlier the storm arrives, the more likely it is to start as wintry precipitation. We believe this will be the case with this storm.

D.C., Baltimore, and even parts of southern Maryland may see this system begin as snow or sleet as early as 9-10 a.m. on Saturday.

Most guidance shows a healthy pool of cold air in place during the morning hours. The key to snowfall totals is how fast this cold area will erode and retreat northward.

By the middle of the afternoon and progressing through the evening hours, as the storm system starts to intensify to our south, winds will pick up out of the south and east.

This is important because those winds will carry some southern and Atlantic “warmth” into the region. That typically happens above the surface first, causing snow to turn over to mix and sleet pellets, before changing over to all rain as the warm layer expands.

The question for us forecasters is how far north and west this rain/snow line will progress, and more recent trends have continued to push that line farther and farther west.

While western areas will still see higher snowfall totals because they are expected to stay snowing longer, a change over to mix at any point will reduce totals compared to pure snow.

READ MORE: DC snow forecast: Most significant snowfall in 2 years possible Saturday for parts of DC metro area

At this time, FOX 5 has not seen any weather models that show all the snow for D.C. and Baltimore. Expectations are that after a wintry start, it will change over to rain pretty quickly in the afternoon.

This change is not expected to come until the late afternoon and evening for those areas to the far northwest.

So what are our latest expectations?

While we do believe D.C. starts as snow and mix, and potentially could even see a little slushy accumulation during the morning and lunchtime hours mostly, we do favor a change over to an at times heavy, cold rain that will likely naturally wash away any accumulation received for the most part.

Mother Nature will likely do her plowing on this one in the immediate D.C. and Baltimore areas.

Once you get west of the I-95 corridor, we are expecting about 2-4″ of wet snow out closer to the highlands, with, of course, the most expected in the mountains west of the I-81 corridor.

For those areas out to the west. As you get up towards the elevation climb in northern Montgomery, Frederick, Carroll, and Fauquier counties — the question is not so much about whether you will see snow longer – but instead about how heavy that snow could be.

Light snow is picky. Ground temperatures have to be below freezing for it to stick, otherwise it simply melts on contact.

Heavier snow is much more tricky. Snow can pile up on just about any surface as long as the rate at which it is falling is faster than the rate at which the ground can melt it.

Whether or not a band of heavy, thumping snow will be present with this storm is something that weather computers have been struggling with over the last couple of days.

When news breaks, stream FOX 5 DC anytime. Get the FOX Local app on your smart TV.

The American model, seen above, has been the most aggressive with the snow coming down heavily for several hours early Saturday afternoon just north and west of D.C. before the eventual changeover to mix and rain.

What we would call a “boom” scenario shows 4-8″ as close as western Loudoun, Northern Fauquier and Montgomery counties, and Frederick and Carroll counties.

This will be a threat to monitor going forward.

On the other hand, the oftentimes more reliable European weather model shown above is considerably less impressive with snowfall rates. This leads to a little more ground melt occurring and keeps snowfall totals more suppressed before a faster changeover to mixing compared to its American counterpart.

The rate of initial snowfall and the speed of the changeover are the two keys that will lead to this storm being a boom or a bust in those western zones.

As for the rest of the Northeast, most models show that D.C. will not be the only major city to suffer the wrath of the dreaded rain/snow line. Other I-95 cities like Philadelphia, and New York City may miss out on some of the larger totals as eastern winds and mild air of the Atlantic lead to mixing. Cold air is expected to fight harder in the interior Northeast, however. Boston will likely get one of the better snowstorms of the past few winters out of this winter storm, while some interior parts of New England could see around a foot of snow.

Even around the Mid-Atlantic, local ski resorts in our mountains could do quite well with the coming storm.

Once we get beyond the weekend, is there anything else that we have our eyes on?

Well, the first major blizzard of 2024 could arrive early next week — just not in the D.C. region. The stronger storms usually have a better model agreement about a week in advance, and both the American and European models are in strong agreement of a major storm in the Midwest early next week, centered around next Tuesday.

It could be the first storm that gets widespread blizzard warnings, particularly in the Upper Midwest, so travelers next week be warned!

For the D.C. region, the center of this storm is expected to pass far to our west. Without a major block in place to force the storm onto the coastline, we are not talking about a blizzard threat here in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The storm could drag up so much warmth on its eastern flank that temperatures on Tuesday could approach 60°F on Tuesday afternoon and evening. However, the morning hours will need to be monitored. Cold air in place with a retreating high pressure to the north could lead to something known as “cold air damming,” which is where a northeast wind traps low-level cold air up against the Appalachian Mountains.

This could lead to some quick morning snow or ice that could make roadways slick for the morning commute, potentially impacting local schools.

It is something we will have our eyes on closely over the next week.

FOX 5 will continue to keep you up to date on these storms, and any more that happen to come our way this winter season.

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Washington, D.C

Bucks County man admits to killing mother after assaulting police officer in Washington, D.C., officials say

Published

2 hours ago

June 18, 2024

Press Room

Bucks County man admits to killing mother after assaulting police officer in Washington, D.C., officials say

NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) — A 49-year-old man admitted to killing his mother after he assaulted an officer in Washington D.C., the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said on Monday.

The DA’s office said 49-year-old William Ingram was taken into custody in Washington for assaulting an officer and damaging a police vehicle and told several D.C. Metro officers he killed his mother, 82-year-old Dolores Ingram.

So far, William Ingram has only been charged with stealing his mother’s vehicle. More charges will be filed against him at the appropriate time, the DA’s office said. Officials are investigating Dolores Ingram’s death as a homicide.

Dolores Ingram was found dead Sunday morning inside a condominium on Beacon Hill Drive after Bucks County dispatchers received a call from the D.C. area to check on her well-being, according to the DA’s office.

Investigators found blood on a windowsill outside the first-floor condo and more blood smeared on the walls and windows, the DA’s office said. The furniture inside the condo “appeared in disarray,” according to officials.

The DA’s office said officers had to force themselves into the home because the door was locked, and the living room appeared to have been cleared out.

Officers inside the condo discovered Dolores Ingram under a pile of furniture and clothes, according to the DA’s office. The DA’s office said an officer noticed her foot, which was cold, and there “appeared to be no signs of life.” The DA’s office said Dolores Ingram appeared to have sustained severe head trauma.

A witness told police they were awakened at 1 a.m. on Saturday to the sound of loud banging. The witness reviewed her home camera at 1:42 a.m. and told police she saw William Ingram running out of the condo shirtless, but he came back a minute later.

Several hours later, the camera showed William Ingram leave the condo with a duffel bag and the witness didn’t see him since.

The DA’s office said William Ingram left in his mother’s 2015 Honda Civic and left his vehicle in the condo complex’s parking lot.

Investigators used license plate readers to track William Ingram at several locations traveling away from the condo, according to the DA’s office.

Police couldn’t find Dolores Ingram’s key to her Honda Civic during a search of the condo, but they found a key fob for William Ingram’s car next to his mother’s body, according to investigators.

An autopsy on Dolores Ingram will be conducted Tuesday. William Ingram remains in custody in Washington, according to the DA’s office.

The homicide is under investigation by the Bucks County DA’s Office and the Northampton Township Police Department, along with help from the Metropolitan D.C. Police Department.

Tom Ignudo

Tom Ignudo is a digital content producer at CBS Philadelphia. Before he joined CBS Philadelphia in 2021, Tom covered high school and college sports for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He covers breaking news, sports and more.

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Washington, D.C

DC Fire and EMS brave the summer heat wave

Published

9 hours ago

June 17, 2024

Press Room

DC Fire and EMS brave the summer heat wave

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — With soaring temperatures come tough conditions for D.C.’s brave men and women who are no strangers to the heat. On Monday, DC Fire and EMS crews were gearing up for an especially warm week in the District.

“If you can imagine a winter coat, sweatpants, boots, gloves and then a backpack full of lead on your back, and then you have to go into a building on fire,” said DC Fire and EMS Acting Assistant Chief of Operations Daniel McCoy of wearing 80 pounds of firefighting gear in high temperatures.

The already strenuous job is made even harder in the heat.

“Your core temperature is already starting to go up so you have less time to operate inside the building,” said McCoy.

He says it’s an all-hands effort to keep their crews safe in the summer.

“We’ll rotate crews faster and earlier than we would if it were cooler outside, to make sure our firefighters don’t overheat,” said McCoy.

He says it’s also more common for the department to call for an additional alarm, or more trucks and personnel, to help fight fires in the summer.

Engine 5 in Georgetown is one of the department’s “rehab units,” dedicated to keeping crews comfortable and safe on scene.

“They set up a cooling station. They can help to monitor vital signs on site. Crews can have a snack and some water. The goal is to have the members to be ready as quickly as possible so that they’re able to provide additional service on the scene,” said McCoy.

He said D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) also helps to coordinate cooling buses to provide respite for crews during long, strenuous firefighting efforts in the summer.

DC Fire and EMS also has additional ambulances staffed around the city this week ready to respond to increased calls for heat-related illness.

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Washington, D.C

7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Washington, DC in June 2024 – wyandottedaily.com

Published

16 hours ago

June 17, 2024

Press Room

7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Washington, DC in June 2024 – wyandottedaily.com

Washington, DC is a vibrant and exciting city with something to offer everyone. From its world-renowned museums to its stunning monuments, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in the nation’s capital. And while there’s no bad time to visit DC, June is an especially great time to experience all that the city has to offer due to many exciting events around the city.

So what are you waiting for? Book your trip to Washington, DC today and experience all that the city has to offer!

The weather in DC in June is typically warm and sunny, with average temperatures in the mid-70s. This makes it ideal weather for exploring the city’s many outdoor attractions, such as the National Mall and the Smithsonian museums. And with extended daylight hours, you’ll have plenty of time to see all that the city has to offer.

June is also a great time to visit DC because of the many special events and festivals that take place during the month. These include:

1. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival

This free festival celebrates the traditional arts and culture of different regions of the United States, the United States, and around the world. It’s a great opportunity to learn about different cultures and see traditional crafts, music, and dance performances.

2. The Capital Pride Parade and Festival

This annual event celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and features a parade, festival, and other events. It’s a great opportunity to show your support for the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate diversity.

3. The National Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Season

The National Symphony Orchestra performs a variety of concerts throughout the summer at the Kennedy Center. These concerts feature a variety of music, from classical to pop to jazz. It’s a great way to enjoy a night of music under the stars.

4. The DC Jazz Festival

This annual festival celebrates jazz music and features performances by some of the world’s best jazz musicians. It’s a great opportunity to see some of the best jazz musicians in the world and experience the vibrant jazz scene in DC.

5. The Taste of DC

This annual food festival features food from over 50 of DC’s best restaurants. It’s a great opportunity to try some of the best food that DC has to offer and experience the city’s diverse culinary scene.

6. The Washington Nationals Baseball Games

The Washington Nationals are DC’s Major League Baseball team. They play their home games at Nationals Park, which is located in the Navy Yard neighborhood. Catching a Nationals game is a great way to experience the excitement of Major League Baseball and cheer on the home team.

7. The Fourth of July Fireworks

The Fourth of July is a national holiday that celebrates the independence of the United States. In DC, the Fourth of July is celebrated with a spectacular fireworks display over the National Mall. It’s a great way to see the city’s iconic monuments and celebrate the Fourth of July in style.

Culture, Best Months to Visit, Nearby Transportation, Local Food, and Best Hotels

Culture

Washington, DC is a melting pot of cultures, with people from all over the world calling the city home. This diversity is reflected in the city’s many cultural institutions, such as the Smithsonian museums, the Kennedy Center, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. DC is also home to a vibrant arts scene, with many theaters, art galleries, and music venues.

Best Months to Visit

Washington, DC is a great place to visit year-round, but the best months to visit are April, May, September, and October. During these months, the weather is typically mild and pleasant, and there are fewer tourists.

Nearby Transportation

Washington, DC is easily accessible by plane, train, and car. The city is served by three major airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Amtrak trains connect DC to cities all over the United States, and the city is also served by several major highways.

Local Food

Washington, DC is a great place to try a variety of local foods. Some of the city’s most popular dishes include half-smokes, crab cakes, and mambo sauce. DC is also home to a number of great farmers markets, where you can buy fresh produce, meats, and cheeses.

Best Hotels

There are many great hotels to choose from in Washington, DC. Some of the city’s most popular hotels include the Willard InterContinental, the Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC, and the Mandarin Oriental, Washington, DC.

Conclusion

Washington, DC is a great city to visit any time of year, but June is an especially great time to experience all that the city has to offer. With its warm weather, special events, and festivals, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in DC in June. So what are you waiting for? Book your trip today and experience all that Washington, DC has to offer!

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