Heavy snow blankets Washington, Baltimore amid first in trio of winter storms
The storm dropped 4-6 inches of snow in the Washington area and about 2 inches in Baltimore. Snow totals reached a foot in parts of Virginia and West Virginia.
Icing leads to power outage concerns in Helene-stricken western North Carolina communities
A mid-week winter storm is impacting 80 million people, including those in western North Carolina. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 4 p.m. Wednesday for portions of Virginia and North Carolina, with significant icing expected from freezing rain. Ice accumulations could reach up to half an inch, potentially causing power outages and downed tree limbs in communities still recovering from Hurricane Helene. FOX News Multimedia Reporter Chelsea Torres is live in Boone, North Carolina, with the latest.
Fast Facts:
- Winter storm blasted through the mid-Atlantic on Tuesday, blanketing Washington and Baltimore with plowable snow.
- Ice accretions in western North Carolina caused scattered power outages.
- Minor snow accumulations reached New York City overnight.
WASHINGTON – Heavy snow fell across a wide swath of the mid-Atlantic, including Washington and Baltimore, on Tuesday night, triggering hundreds of weather-related crashes and delaying hundreds of flights as the first of three winter storms moves across the U.S.
(FOX Weather)
The storm dropped 4-6 inches of snow in the Washington area and about 2 inches in Baltimore. D.C. police put out a call for help for snowplows and salt trucks to head to 14th Street on Tuesday evening after around 10 Metro buses became stuck on the snowy road.
FOX Weather Storm Specialist Mike Seidel is in Washington keeping up with the latest conditions.
FOX Weather Storm Specialist Mike Seidel is live in Washington reporting the latest on the heavy snowfall
Heavy snow to hit major cities across the U.S. as disruptive ice may bring power outages.
Snow obscured the Capitol Building behind him as traffic slowly passed on slick roads during the evening commute. Seidel reported that air travel was also suffering, with heavy snow falling at Reagan National Airport.
"Reagan National Airport has had 4 inches of snow – in 4 hours!" Seidel said as a moderate snow continued to fall around him. "That’s not too shabby."
Snow falls in Washington, D.C.
About 4 inches of snow fell in the heart of the nation's capital Tuesday evening.
That has led to some flight delays, with about 200 flights canceled at Reagan on Tuesday and another 30-35 canceled for Wednesday.
Some areas south and west of the District had reached the 6-inch mark.
"A solid 5-6 inches, that’s a pretty decent snowstorm for this part of the country," he said.
![WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Snow falls on the North Lawn of the White House on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. A winter storm is expected to drop 3-6 inches of snow on the Washington metropolitan area.]()
Image 1 of 9WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Snow falls on the North Lawn of the White House on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. A winter storm is expected to drop 3-6 inches of snow on the Washington metropolitan area. (Andrew Harnik)
![WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: A squirrel runs across the North Lawn of the White House on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. A winter storm is expected to drop 3-6 inches of snow on the Washington metropolitan area]()
Image 2 of 9WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: A squirrel runs across the North Lawn of the White House on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. A winter storm is expected to drop 3-6 inches of snow on the Washington metropolitan area. (Andrew Harnik)
![]()
Image 3 of 9WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Snow falls on Independence Ave SW on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. A winter storm is expected to drop 3-6 inches of snow on the Washington metropolitan area. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) ( )
![WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Snow falls over the U.S. Capitol on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Snowfall is expected to intensify this evening across the D.C. region, with accumulations of three to six inches and higher totals further south, creating hazardous travel conditions.]()
Image 4 of 9WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Snow falls over the U.S. Capitol on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Snowfall is expected to intensify this evening across the D.C. region, with accumulations of three to six inches and higher totals further south, creating hazardous travel conditions. (Kent Nishimura)
![WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: People visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial as snow falls on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. A winter storm is expected to drop 3-6 inches of snow on the Washington metropolitan area.]()
Image 5 of 9WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: People visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial as snow falls on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. A winter storm is expected to drop 3-6 inches of snow on the Washington metropolitan area. (Kayla Bartkowski)
![Multiple Storms Dump Snow From Midwest To East Coast This Week]()
Image 6 of 9WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: People shield themselves from the snow with flags of the Dominican Republic as snow falls over the U.S. Capitol on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Snowfall is expected to intensify this evening across the D.C. region, with accumulations of three to six inches and higher totals further south, creating hazardous travel conditions. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images) (Kent Nishimura)
![Multiple Storms Dump Snow From Midwest To East Coast This Week]()
Image 7 of 9WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Snow falls over the U.S. Capitol on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Snowfall is expected to intensify this evening across the D.C. region, with accumulations of three to six inches and higher totals further south, creating hazardous travel conditions. (Kent Nishimura)
![Snowfall in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday afternooon.]()
Image 8 of 9Snowfall in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday afternooon. ( )
![A snowman in Richmond, Virginia, as a winter storm moves through the area Tuesday.]()
Image 9 of 9A snowman in Richmond, Virginia, as a winter storm moves through the area Tuesday. ( )
The storm brought even heavier totals to the west, where portions of northwestern Virginia and West Virginia reported a foot of snow on Tuesday, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency as forecasts called for areas of accumulating snow, freezing rain, ice and excessive rainfall that could cause flooding, power outages and hazardous travel conditions.
The Virginia State Patrol reported over 700 crashes – several of them involving injuries – across the state from midnight to 9 p.m. Tuesday. Maryland State Patrol reported another 152 weather-related crashes.
Several school districts around the DMV announced closures Wednesday due to snowy weather. Alexandria City Public Schools announced a virtual learning day for Wednesday, while Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland announced a full closure of all campuses for Wednesday.
Snow creates pretty scene in Richmond, Virginia
Snow from the latest round of winter weather is making for a beautiful sight in Richmond on Tuesday. This storm is expected to move into the Northeast through Wednesday.
More than 60,000 customers in Virginia woke up without power Wednesday morning after ice and snow downed power lines.
Snow causes headaches in Kentucky
Tuesday morning, Kentucky was impacted by several inches of snow. The National Weather Service reported snowfall rates of around an inch per hour and numerous accidents in metro Lexington. A Winter Storm Warning remained in effect there until 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Kentucky experiences snowy morning as winter storm moves east toward mid-Atlantic
A compilation of videos from Tuesday morning showed conditions around Kentucky as the first of three winter storms moved through the area on Tuesday.
Cities such as Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, were expecting a few inches of snow and the potential for a light glaze of ice by Tuesday evening. For areas farther south, temperatures were too warm for snow, and instead, it was heavy rain, especially in the mid-South.
Ice Storm Warnings issued for parts of Carolinas
The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, issued an Ice Storm Warning for portions of the western North Carolina mountains, including Avery County and the high elevations of Burke County. The warning was in effect until 7 a.m. Wednesday.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE FOX WEATHER APP
(FOX Weather)
The primary concern is significant ice accretion, with forecasters predicting around a quarter-inch of ice in the most-affected areas. However, locations along and east of Highway 221 could see up to a half-inch of ice.
The weight of the ice could also cause tree limbs to break and power lines to snap, leading to widespread power outages.
HOW MUCH ICE IS NEEDED TO KNOCK OUT POWER, DAMAGE TREES?
Be sure to download the free FOX Weather app and enable notifications to be alerted to any changes in the forecast.