Above-Average Snow For DC This Winter: Meteorologist

Winter forecasts should always be taken with a grain of salt, but here's one that calls for 15 to 25 inches of snow for the D.C. area this season.

Fox 5's Mike Thomas released his forecast for 2019-20, noting that there weren't any "real strong signals" for snow this year, hence the muted totals. This project snowfall would represent above-average snow, but a weak or neutral El Nino "favors some winter storms (5" + events) but not the big blizzards," he tweeted.

He added that temperatures should be near average with "some Polar Vortex visits."

HERE IT IS! Our 2019-2020 Winter Outlook for DC!

No real strong signals this year. Expecting above normal snow...but weak/neutral El Niño favors some winter storms (5"+ events) but not the big blizzards. Temps near average overall, but still expect some Polar Vortex visits. pic.twitter.com/Q66DQgEfab
— Mike Thomas (@MikeTFox5) November 6, 2019

The forecast calls for higher snowfall totals of 25 to 35 inches along the Blue Ridge Mountains, and up to 90 inches in far west Maryland. Points south and east of D.C. are in the 5 to 15 inches range.

It's possible we may get a taste of snow as early as Veterans Day on Monday. A cold front is projected to move into the area later this week and send temperatures plummeting, raising the odds that some precipitation on Monday will come in the form of snow (although significant accumulation is unlikely).

The Capital Weather Gang has listed the chance of snow on their "snow potential index" at one out of 10.

"The SPI comes out of hibernation, with signs of the season's first flakes during the early to middle part of next week," they write. "Something to watch."

We got 16.9 inches of snow last year after a couple of sparse winters (7.8 inches in 2017-18 and 3.4 inches in 2016-17), according to the National Weather Service. The average is 15.4 inches.