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Holiday Travelers: Wait a Day, or Don't Delay?

Dan Stillman @ 1:01 AM

The weather will cooperate nicely up and down the East Coast today, traditionally the busiest travel day of the year. Mother Nature may not be as kind, however, to those looking to avoid heavy traffic by delaying their trip until tonight or tomorrow, as an Alberta Clipper is forecast to bring snow and rain to parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Let's start with the holiday travel forecast, followed by the relatively uneventful forecast for the immediate metro area ...

Travelcast

Today:
  • No worries. Dry weather is expected throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and Southeast today.
Tonight:
  • No major problems around the Washington area, on the Eastern Shore, south on I-95 or southwest on I-81 -- flurries, light snow or rain is possible, but no accumulation is expected.
  • Frederick is about as close as accumulating snow should get to Washington. An inch or so is possible from Frederick toward points north and west into Western Maryland.
  • Light to moderate snow is likely to accumulate 2-4 inches in the mountains of West Virginia this evening and overnight.
  • Light snow is also in the forecast for northern Maryland and Pennsylvania, starting after 8 p.m. and accumulating 2 inches or less.
  • Light snow and rain spreads eastward into New York and New Jersey after midnight, with light accumulations possible north and west of I-95.
  • The big cities -- Baltimore, Philly and New York -- should be warm enough that any snow that does fall will not stick.
Image shows areas where precipitation is expected overnight, courtesy NCEP.

Tomorrow:
  • Hold on to the wheel -- it'll be quite windy across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
  • Other than the wind, weather should not be a factor for those traveling in the Washington area, on the Eastern Shore or toward points south on I-95 or southwest on I-81.
  • Look for lingering light snow or flurries in the mountains of West Virginia, with additional accumulations of an inch or so.
  • Lingering light snow or flurries are also possible in northern Pennsylvania and far Western Maryland. Additional accumulations 1 inch or less.
  • Light rain in New Jersey, maybe a few snowflakes mixed in.
  • Light to moderate snow accumulating 1-3 inches in parts of New York and southern New England.
  • No accumulation expected in the New York City or Boston metro areas.
Image shows areas where precipitation is expected tomorrow, courtesy NCEP.

Roadway Conditions: Maryland ... Virginia ... West Virginia ... Delaware ... Pennsylvania Turnpike ... New Jersey Turnpike

Local Forecast

Today: Partly sunny through early afternoon, then increasing clouds as the clipper system approaches from the west. High around 41. Tonight: A chance of flurries or light snow mixed with rain, starting after 8 p.m. -- no accumulation is expected. Lows 30-35. Tomorrow: A few lingering flurries or sprinkles are possible in the morning. Otherwise, cold and windy with temps in the low 40s during the morning before a cold front drops temps into the upper 30s for the afternoon. Tomorrow night: Clear and very cold. Lows 20-25 in town, mid-to-upper teens in the 'burbs. Friday: Breezy, clear and cold. High in the upper 30s to around 40. The Weekend: Sunny on Saturday with a high in the low 40s. And on Sunday, partly cloudy and not as cold with high temps in the upper 40s to low 50s.

TV Stations Issue Winter Forecasts

The predictions are in. Channel 4's Bob Ryan, Channel 7's Doug Hill and Channel 9's Topper Shutt have all released their forecasts for the upcoming winter. Here they are:
Also, don't forget to compare with CapitalWeather.com's winter outlook.

Snow Lover's Crystal Ball

Next Chance of Snow: Tonight through early tomorrow
Probability: 40%
Potential Impact:
Commentary: Our chances for a little bit of nonaccumulating snow are detailed in the local forecast above. After tomorrow, there doesn't appear to be any snow chances in our immediate future. Sorry snow lovers!

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