Weather Update: Heavy, Wet Snow to Follow Tuesday Afternoon Rain

McLean could see anywhere from 3 to 8 inches of snow with a storm expected to start as rain Tuesday afternoon.

The latest forecasts show rain starting around 3 p.m. Tuesday with temperatures dropping through the evening hours to near freezing. As temperatures drop, the rain will turn to wet, heavy snow.

Snow will continue overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday.

See also: 

• Winter Storm Emergency Preparedness Tips
• Driving Tips for Snow
• Where to Buy a Shovel and Shoveling Safety Tips  

• Keep up with local snow information for McLean by signing up for the McLean Patch email newsletter. Also 'like' us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The Winter Storm Watch from the National Weather Service predicts "more than 5 inches possible with the potential for more than a foot somewhere within the watch area."

The DC area has gotten at least a trace of snow in March in 15 of the past 30 years, WTOP reported. Seven of those 15 snowfalls have been less than an inch. The most recently really significant snow in March was 5.5 inches in 2009.

Both Punxsutawney Phil and Potomac Phil predicted an early spring this year.

Forecast Details

NBC-4's chief meteorologist Doug Kammerer predicts that areas west of Interstate 95 will see the most snow in the area, and western Fairfax "much more." Kammerer predicts no school for Wednesday and possibly Thursday, but no school district has made any decisions yet regarding school delays or cancelations.

ABC-7 senior meteorologist Bob Ryan says there is a 60 percent chance the area will see 3-7 inches of snow, a 30 percent chance the area will see 5-8 inches of snow and a 10 percent chance of 8-10 inches of snow.

Channel 9 chief meteorologist Topper Shutt tweeted: "Prep for #snowquester fill prescriptions, check flashlights, full car up with full tank of gas, bring in firewood @wusa9."

National Weather Service forecast for Wednesday: "Snow before 3 p.m., then rain and snow. High near 35 degrees. Breezy, with a north wind 15 to 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible."

Thursday and Friday, skies will be mostly sunny and temperatures will climb back into the 40s.

Web sites to keep handy:

• Fairfax County Emergency Information blog
• Virginia Department of Transportation Snow Plowing Information
• VDOT Traffic Information
• Dominion Electric Outage Map