Northeast Weather Alert

01/25/2026

SUPER IMPORTANT.

01/25/2026

Here it comes as of 10pm!

01/25/2026

The National Weather Service's latest official snowfall forecast indicates a pronounced gradient across the region.

Areas proximate to Washington, including Bethesda and Silver Spring, are anticipated to receive approximately 8 inches of snow, while locations farther north and west, including Damascus and areas nearer to Frederick, are forecasted to receive around 13 inches.

The higher-end snowfall scenario suggests a 10 percent probability of 10 to 16 inches across much of the area, while the lower-end scenario posits 4 to 6 inches regionwide.

Snow is expected to spread across the region late Saturday night, becoming heavy at times overnight with snowfall rates potentially reaching 2 to 3 inches per hour.

All areas are expected to start as snow for the first several hours before mixing becomes a factor early Sunday morning.

Forecasters anticipate that sleet will mix in initially across Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley, then spread northward toward the DC metro area later in the morning.

Freezing rain is forecasted to develop later Sunday, particularly south of Highway 50, and may reach major corridors including I-66, Route 7, and I-95 by Sunday afternoon.

Ice accumulation poses a significant concern, with forecasts indicating approximately 0.16 inches of ice closer to DC and roughly 0.04 inches farther north.

In a worst-case scenario, the high-end ice forecast suggests nearly a quarter inch of ice near the District and about a tenth of an inch in northern Montgomery County.

While the low-end scenario suggests minimal ice, forecasters emphasize that even modest icing could lead to tree damage and power outages, particularly when combined with heavy snow.

01/24/2026

A snow system will spread across West Virginia from west to east between 5 PM and 11 PM EST on Saturday.

The snow intensity will increase overnight, with snowfall rates reaching 2-3 inches per hour, especially across the northern third of the state and mountainous regions.

By Sunday morning, warm air aloft will cause the snow to transition to sleet and freezing rain in southern and central areas, including Huntington, Charleston, Beckley, and Bluefield, while heavy snow persists in the north, including Morgantown and Pittsburgh, and eastern areas such as Martinsburg.

Travel conditions statewide will deteriorate to hazardous or impossible levels on Saturday night.

01/24/2026

Drivers — it's critical to remain weather aware during a winter storm and delay nonessential travel.

If you must leave the house:
🧊 Pack an emergency kit
🧊 Buckle up
🧊 Drive slowly

01/24/2026

⬇️

Clearing your car of snow and ice is more than just scraping a little hole to see — let's do it right! ⤵️

*Snow removal laws vary by state

01/24/2026

The primary window for thundersnow activity will be from approximately 8 PM Saturday evening through 10 AM Sunday morning. The peak intensity, with the highest likelihood of experiencing thundersnow, is expected between 11 PM Saturday and 5 AM Sunday. Any thundersnow events will be intermittent and localized, likely occurring in short, intense bursts lasting 30 to 60 minutes within the broader snowstorm. The potential for thundersnow varies across the state, peaking in the central mountain corridors. In the Metro Valley, including Charleston, Huntington, South Charleston, Dunbar, Nitro, and Hurricane, the probability is high, around 50%, as this area will be near the dynamic transition zone between snow and mixed precipitation. The northern regions, including Wheeling, Weirton, Parkersburg, Vienna, Morgantown, Fairmont, Clarksburg, and Bridgeport, have a 45% probability, with intense snowfall rates being the primary driver. In the southern coalfields and mountains, cities like Beckley, Bluefield, Oak Hill, Princeton, Summersville, and Lewisburg have a 40% chance, highest on Saturday night before a quicker changeover to sleet and freezing rain may stabilize the column. The Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands, including Martinsburg, Keyser, Romney, Moorefield, Franklin, and Petersburg, have a 35% chance; while snowfall will be tremendous, the core of the atmospheric instability may remain just to the west.

01/24/2026

01/24/2026

Winter Storm Fern Northeast Update (as of January 24, 2026, 10:09AM EST)

Storm intensifying: Heavy snow (12-18 inches) across PA, NY, WV, ice/sleet in MD, VA, DE. Freezing rain rising in southern MD, including Frederick area power outages likely.   

Winter Storm Fern Ice & Snow Totals
Maryland: Snow: Western12-18”.

North /West central 10-16”.

Northern/Central 7-14”.

Southern 5-10”. Ice: 0.1-0.25” (higher south).

Frederick minimal (up to 0.06”). 

Pennsylvania: Snow: Central/south central 10-18” (south of Turnpike 6-8” with mix possible).

Ice: Trace to 0.08”. 

West Virginia: Snow: Central/North/South/West 6-11”.

Southeast/South 3-5”.

Northeast 12-15” (mountains up to 20”).

Ice: 0.1-0.5”.

Impacts: 17 states + DC in emergency, thousands of flights canceled, roads closed, travel halted through Monday.

Over 230M affected.

01/24/2026

Winter Storm Fern Northeast Update (as of January 23, 2026, 10:55 PM EST)

Fern is intensifying, bringing heavy snowfall and ice to the Northeast through Monday.

Winter Storm Fern Snow Totals

Maryland: Snow accumulations vary regionally, with western areas expected to receive 7-18 inches, north central and western areas 16 inches, northern areas 14 inches, southern areas 10 inches, and eastern/coastal areas a trace to 4 inches, with mixed sleet and ice reducing pure snowfall amounts in southern and eastern regions.

Pennsylvania: Central and south-central regions are expected to receive 10-18 inches of snow, while areas south of the Turnpike may see a potential sleet mix, lowering totals to 6-8 inches.

The probability of snowfall is high (90-99%) for 4-6 inches and moderate (90-95%) for 8-12 inches.

West Virginia: Snow and sleet accumulations are expected to range from 7-12 inches in central, northern, southern, and western areas, 4-8 inches in southeastern and southern areas, and 6-14 inches in northeastern and southeastern areas, with ice posing an additional risk

01/23/2026

Take this storm seriously, folks. Moderate to major impacts are anticipated across the Central US through to the Northeast today through the weekend.

Hazardous to impossible driving conditions are forecasted thus, avoid travel if possible.

Widespread closures and disruptions to infrastructure may also occur.

Stay informed about the latest alerts and weather conditions by following your local National Weather Service office or visiting weather.gov.

01/23/2026

A second Arctic cold snap is anticipated for next Friday.

Winter appears to be persisting for the foreseeable future.

There is growing confidence that another Arctic blast is developing and expected to arrive by next Friday.

Just as the incoming storm's snow and ice are expected to melt with temperatures rising to near 50 degrees on Thursday, another surge of Arctic air is forecast to move in late Thursday or Friday.

The outlook for the following weekend also indicates cold temperatures, potentially accompanied by winter weather conditions.

The current winter storm is expected to commence by 9 pm tonight, with temperatures dropping to freezing and continuing to fall throughout the weekend.

Further updates will be provided as necessary.