News

Blizzard 2017 Is Not Sparing The Nation's Capital

by Noor Al-Sibai
Mark Wilson/Getty Images News/Getty Images

With winter storm Stella bearing down on the Midwest and Northeast, Washington, DC is (as usual) the gateway between the North and South, and as such, may get hit almost as hard as its neighbors to the north. Given that it's snowing as far south as North Carolina, snow in in the capital is expected, but some folks are wondering just how much snow Stella will bring to DC. Unfortunately, the nation's capital is likely to be impacted just as heavily as other highly-affected areas.

Although DC is not under the blizzard advisory in and around the tri-state area, it is under a winter storm warning due to Stella's effects. Along with other areas in the mid-Atlantic region, the DMV area is under its own warning from the National Weather service, which predicted that DC proper could get four to six inches of snow, but that Baltimore could receive five to seven inches. Much of the precipitation will accumulate overnight, though the Washington Post forecasted that it would likely be a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Their "Capital Weather Gang" reported at 9 p.m. EST that northwest suburbs could get more than six inches of snow and make travel to and from the suburbs difficult, but that those inside the Beltway will receive more of a "wintry mix" than heavy accumulation. All the same, the roads could get icy if temperatures remain below freezing.

All-in-all, DC should fare much better during Stella than last year's blizzard that covered DC and the entire mid-Atlantic region in more than two feet of snow. DC has been the site of a number of massive snowstorms in the last decade, including the famous "Snowmageddon" of 2010. Prior to that famous blizzard, DC wasn't "a snow town," but since then, it's been the site of two other snowstorms, including another mid-March storm in 2014.

Despite the relatively-low snowfall, food is flying off the shelves of DC-area grocery stores, and one brewery in a DC suburb gave away ski hats with beer purchases before the snow hit. As always, fear of running out of food or getting stuck in icy traffic is a scary thought, but DC residents needn't panic — this is very unlikely to compare to Snowmaggedon or last year's blizzard, and that concern should be saved for those further north, who are facing massive snowfall and flight cancellations due to Stella's wrath.