Icy Conditions Expected Wednesday Morning

Wednesday morning’s commute may be icy inside and outside the Beltway, forecasters are warning.

A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect from 3-10 a.m., with sleet and freezing rain expected to fall in Arlington and much of the D.C. region.

More from the National Weather Service:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 10 AM EST WEDNESDAY… * WHAT…MIXED PRECIPITATION EXPECTED. A COATING OF SLEET WITH A FEW HUNDREDTHS TO UP TO ONE TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE IS EXPECTED. THE HIGHEST ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE NORTH AND WEST OF THE CITIES OF WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE AND NORTH AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 95. * WHERE…THE WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN AREAS AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE VIRGINIA PIEDMONT. * WHEN…FROM 3 AM TO 10 AM EST WEDNESDAY. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…LIGHT SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA BETWEEN 2 AM AND 5 AM EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE TO RAIN BY 10 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH TEMPERATURES RISING WELL ABOVE FREEZING. THE ICE MAY RESULT IN SLIPPERY CONDITIONS…ESPECIALLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE WEDNESDAY. BE PREPARED FOR REDUCED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW, SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES, AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1. &&

Arlington and Virginia Dept. of Transportation crews have been preparing to treat roadways overnight. VDOT issued a press release urging drivers to delay trips in the event of slippery conditions and be extra careful if they must hit road early Wednesday.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is treating roads in advance of a wintry mix forecasted to arrive during the early morning hours Wednesday. Drivers are asked to monitor the weather closely (see National Weather Service forecast), and adjust their trips as needed to avoid driving in icy conditions.

Overnight tonight, crews will load and stage trucks in northern Virginia, ready to treat roads with salt and sand through the the morning as needed.

Drivers are asked to:

• Stay closely tuned to forecasts (see National Weather Service)
• If conditions are icy, delay trips for safety.
• Assume any “wet” pavement to be icy. Bridges, ramps, overpasses and lower-volume roads will freeze first, and even previously treated roads become slick quickly with low pavement temperatures.
• Ensure gas and wiper fluid tanks are full, and have a good emergency kit:www.ready.gov/car.

Some updates via Twitter:

Winter Weather Advisory expanded slightly to include Spotsylvania, Stafford and Charles Counties. Main issue remains glaze ice from freezing rain late tonight and early Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/obm6nQ5AM4

— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) February 7, 2018

9:55p: Temperatures around DC area are generally COLDER than they were expected to be at this time. This might mean conditions are also ICIER in the morning. Please check conditions before heading out in the AM and use caution. More info: https://t.co/26LTmIm5uG pic.twitter.com/sCGN37c2hb

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) February 7, 2018

Expecting a mix of rain and snow falling on area roads overnight. Rain makes pretreatment tricky – and often a waste. It washes away. So with a messy morning likely, plan to give yourself at least an extra 20-30 minutes to get where you're headed. #ArlWX https://t.co/JnvPU3tlvu pic.twitter.com/OWVolXfuNX

— Arlington DES (@ArlingtonDES) February 6, 2018