NoVA, DC Weather: 2 Waves Of Snowfall Could Drop Up To 8 Inches

NORTHERN VIRGINIA/DC — Weather forecasters are calling for as much as 8 inches of snow in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia over the rest of the workweek, according to the National Weather Service.

The snow is forecast to begin Wednesday afternoon and continue through Friday afternoon. Total snow accumulations could range as high as 5 to 8 inches in the region, the NWS said.

The region will likely face two waves of snowfall, according to The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang.

The first wave will begin Wednesday afternoon and should taper off Thursday morning. The second wave, expected Thursday evening into Friday morning, may cause the heaviest precipitation south of the District of Columbia.

“Combining both waves, most locations should see 2 to 3 inches on the low end and up to 6 to 7 inches of snow on the high end,” the Capital Weather Gang said.

The storms are forecast to come only days after a Super Bowl Sunday storm dropped a few inches of snow on Northern Virginia and the D.C. area.

For the Super Bowl Sunday storm, the highest snow totals for the Baltimore-Washington office's coverage area reached 6 or more inches along the Shenandoah Valley/I-81 corridor. Northern Virginia's localities had totals ranging from a trace in Arlington County to more than 4 inches in Loudoun County.

Here is the NWS forecast for the next few days in the Washington, D.C., region:

Wednesday: A chance of rain after 1 p.m., mixing with snow after 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. Northeast wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon.

Wednesday night: Snow before 2 a.m., then snow, possibly mixed with sleet. Patchy fog before 8 p.m., then patchy fog after 9 p.m. Low around 30. New snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Thursday: Snow. Patchy fog before 1 p.m. High near 31. Northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Thursday night: Snow. Low around 26. Northeast wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Friday: Snow likely, mainly before 7 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34.

Saturday: A chance of snow and freezing rain before noon, then a chance of freezing rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.