Our first real taste of a winter storm in nearly two years has come and gone. Those big, white snowflakes quickly turned to rain and slush, then ice, but future weather is looking sunnier.
Sunshine and above-freezing temperatures are thawing ice that coated trees and potentially roads during the day.
Temperatures are set to fall below freezing on Friday morning, so prepare for the possibility of leftover ice and slush refreezing overnight. That could lead to some hazardous driving conditions.
Amid icy conditions Thursday morning, a plane slid off a taxiway at Baltimore–Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Thursday morning and passengers were moved onto shuttle buses. One-hundred-eleven people were on board and no one was hurt.
Several crashes were reported Thursday morning, including one involving a tractor-trailer on I-95 near Exit 166 in Virginia, authorities said.
A Virginia State Trooper narrowly avoided injury Wednesday when their patrol car was struck by another vehicle that lost control and slid in slippery conditions, authorities said.
"Anything that is wet, or looks wet, could be ice," said the Virginia Department of Transportation's Jennifer McCord.
Even walking can prove risky: Within 30 minutes on Thursday morning, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue received two calls about people falling and injuring themselves on ice.
You’re most likely to encounter ice on side streets and untreated roads. Busy roads like Interstates 270 and 95 and have been treated, but proceed with caution.
The ice won’t hang on for too long. Partly sunny skies and dry conditions will help with melting. Highs on Thursday are expected to be around 33-39°.
Sunshine will stick around Friday and highs will be in the 40s over the weekend.
Clouds are set to return Saturday. Then, there’s a chance for rain drops late Sunday and early Monday.
Flood watches and winter weather advisories have subsided. Go here to see all weather alerts.
Several area school districts are closed Thursday or on all-virtual learning.
Public schools in Prince William, Loudoun and Culpeper counties will be closed Thursday. Virtual learning is canceled.
Spotsylvania County Public Schools are closed Thursday, but content for students to study will be available online.
Charles County schools will begin virtual learning two hours late due to the weather.
Anne Arundel, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Howard, Montgomery, Stafford and Frederick, Maryland, county schools will have only virtual learning.
Here's a full list of school closures, delays and changes.
In Fauquier County, the county government and juvenile courts opened two hours late. The general district court opened normally.
Federal agencies in the region delayed opening until 10 a.m., according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Agencies can offer employees unscheduled leave or remote work.
Overall, snowfall amounts were generally close to expectation.
The big snowfall totaling 6-10 inches blanketed both Frederick, Maryland, and Frederick, Virginia.
Loudoun County got covered in about 3-6 inches.
Montgomery and Howard counties saw about 1-4 inches; Fairfax, Fauquier and Prince William counties got 1-3 inches; Arlington, Prince George’s and D.C. got 1-2 inches.
Flurries of snowflakes began falling across D.C., Maryland and Virginia on Wednesday morning, kicking off the first winter storm of the season. Snow was still falling to the west of D.C. in the Leesburg and Frederick areas and along Interstate 68 near Cumberland, Maryland, late Wednesday, but in the metro area, snow had long since changed over to a cold rain or wintry mix.
"It's a big storm no matter what," Storm Team4 Meteorologist Chuck Bell said.
Precipitation is likely to continue until about 6 a.m. Thursday. Storm Team4 has declared a weather alert.
Photos: Winter Storm Brings DC Area's First Snowfall of the Season
D.C. saw a coating of snow before the precipitation changed to a wintry mix and then rain.
More than a couple of inches of snow was reported in parts of Northern Virginia and the suburbs to the north in Maryland.
More accumulated further north and west, including 11.5 inches in the Winchester area.
South of D.C. the storm was a rain event.
The weekend is looking dry and cold, with highs in the 40s.
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast.
