Heavy snow and ice Wednesday could fell trees, power lines in Bethesda

The weather forecasters got it wrong yet again, and we are facing a much more serious winter storm Wednesday than we were told last week. Heavy snow is expected to begin falling sometime after 3:00 AM Wednesday, most likely toward 5:00 or 6:00 AM. Accumulation of 3-6" is possible before precipitation switches over to freezing rain and ice mid-afternoon. Locations in the northern half of Montgomery County could see totals rise to 10". The storm is expected to end by 10:00 PM Wednesday night.

The combination of heavy, wet snow and a coating of ice will create conditions favorable to trees and limbs falling, and power outages. Temperatures will be the critical factor in the ultimate accumulation totals by nightfall Wednesday. This will be another serious test of the "new" Pepco system. With 48 hours of advance notice, the utility will have no excuse to not have called in backup workers from out of state. As a multi-state operation, Pepco parent Exelon has even more resources within its own nationwide workforce than the old Pepco did, so again, there will be no excuses.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has urged residents to check their home emergency kit, and to prepare a plan for power outages.

Bethesda under wind advisory

High winds with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour are expected today, beginning late this morning, and continuing until around 7:00 PM tonight. Winds will be from the northwest, and average 20 to 25 MPH during that time. The winds may blow down limbs, trees and power lines. We will be under a Wind Advisory until 7:00 PM, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures will peak around 42 degrees at 10:00 AM this morning, then begin to drop as the high winds pick up to 18 MPH around 11:00 AM, to below freezing by late afternoon. We'll hit a low of 12 degrees by sunrise Monday morning, starting the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday with a dangerously-cold -11 degrees wind chill.

Winter Storm Harper to hit Bethesda today

Montgomery County is under a winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service. Winter Storm Harper is expected to arrive by mid-afternoon, beginning with showers that will convert to heavy rain by nightfall, continuing overnight through Sunday morning.

A flash freeze is predicted to occur between 1:00 and 3:00 PM Sunday afternoon, creating treacherous conditions on roads. Gusty winds will build up starting Sunday morning, peaking around 22 MPH by midday, with gusts up to 28 MPH possible. By Sunday night, temperatures will be around 12 degrees, but wind chills will make it feel like an even more brutal -11 degrees.

The projected temperatures during the precipitation make any significant accumulation of snow unlikely over the next 48 hours. Wet roads and sidewalks freezing on Sunday, as well as possible flooding tonight, will be the primary dangers of Winter Storm Harper.

Bethesda snow update + more storms later this week

Montgomery County will attempt to get back to business today, after crews spent Monday finally plowing residential streets. The County government will be open. Montgomery County Public Schools will open two hours late.

All County recreation and aquatic centers will open on-time this morning, except senior centers, which will open at 10:00 AM. However, if your aquatic lesson is before 9:30 AM, it is cancelled for today. In fact, any program, class or activity that was scheduled before 10:00 AM this morning is also cancelled for today, as are senior nutrition and transportation programs.

Recreation programs for children five and under (tiny tots) that begin before noon are cancelled.

Metrobus, Metrorail, MARC trains and Ride On buses are all operating on normal weekday schedules today.

Rockville

Rockville's Mayor and Council meeting that was postponed last night has been rescheduled for tonight, January 15, 2019 at 7:00 PM at City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave. Tonight's meeting agenda still includes:

A vote on a resolution to extend the moratorium on the filing, acceptance and receipt of applications for special exceptions, plans and plan amendments for certain uses in the mixed-use employment (MXE) zone, until July 1.

A report from the Adequate Public Facilities Standards (APFS) Work Group on Schools, regarding options to address a potential residential moratorium.

A presentation and discussion of the Planning Commission’s draft of the North Stonestreet Avenue Comprehensive Master Plan amendment.

A public hearing on the plan for the Shady Grove Neighborhood Center, a proposed mixed-use center with commercial, office and residential uses at 15825 Shady Grove Road, 2 and 4 Choke Cherry Road, and 2092-2098 Gaither Road.

A consent agenda that includes authorization for the city manager to execute a contract to purchase 6 Taft Court.

Takoma Park

The City of Takoma Park's offices will open at 10:30 AM this morning.

Montgomery Village

The Montgomery Village Foundation office will be open today. All Village recreation classes scheduled before noon are cancelled, except Seniors in Action, still meeting at 10:00 AM this morning.

Suburban News Network

STORM CENTER

Two other potential snowstorms are approaching the area later this week. Snow showers are possible Thursday afternoon, and a second storm could hit Sunday, a day that will have a low temperature of 10 degrees, according to The Weather Channel.

Bethesda snow update - forecasts, cancellations, closures

Bradley Boulevard at
Bradley Shopping Center

Snow continues to fall steadily across Bethesda. The National Weather Service is forecasting a total of up to 12" of accumulation by the time the storm ends this evening. Montgomery County is currently plowing primary roads and snow emergency routes. Metrobus is operating on regular Sunday hours, but many routes may have detours due to road conditions, especially along secondary streets. Ride On buses are running on normal Sunday schedule. All community use activities in Montgomery County government and public school buildings today are canceled. All 3 major airports are open, but individual flights are subject to cancellation - call ahead before leaving. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor is operating with some delays.

Old Georgetown Road at
Cedar Lane

Here are some of the cancellations that have come across the Suburban News Network news desk this morning:

Church in Bethesda (5033 Wilson Lane)

Cera Wax Studio

La Bohemia Bakery

Chef Tony's *brunch* - will make decision later on dinner service
Call 301-654-3737 for updates

Pool at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center fitness center

River Road westbound
near Wilson Lane

Bethesda snow accumulation forecast revised upward as Winter Storm Gia path changes

Suburban News Network

STORM CENTER

Winter Storm Gia's path has drifted northward as it approaches the D.C. area, and forecasters have adjusted their snow accumulation totals accordingly. Montgomery County is now expected to receive between three to six inches by Sunday evening. The start of the snowfall is now expected to begin two hours later today - 4:00 PM instead of 2:00, indicating the storm has slowed slightly. Gia is currently advancing over the I-81 corridor. A slower storm could mean totals would be at the higher end of the forecasted spectrum.

County Executive Marc Elrich appears to be taking a proactive approach to the storm. Major and secondary County roadways had been pretreated by Friday night, while the state was behind schedule in treating highways they control within the County. "I ask all Marylanders to put safety first by staying off the roads during the storm, following your local weather forecasts, and heeding all warnings,” Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said Friday.

BETHESDA SNOW UPDATE AND WEATHER FORECAST #DC #JUNO

Umbrellas will likely be more useful than shovels this morning. Bethesda and the DC area are not expected to experience the blizzard conditions and snowfall totals projected for points north like New York City tonight. Precipitation here will be a mix of rain and snow through this morning and afternoon, with a midday high of 37° F making rain the predominant thing falling. But expect roads to be slick when the temperature hits freezing around 9:00 PM tonight, as snow showers will dominate from then through the Tuesday morning rush.

The National Weather Service expects Winter Storm Juno to drop 3-6" of snow on the region by Tuesday, but it will likely be 3" or less in the Bethesda area.

BETHESDA/DC AREA SNOW FORECAST

How many inches of snow will Bethesda and the DC region get from this nasty, late winter storm tonight?

A winter storm warning is in effect across the region today from 2:00 PM until 2:00 PM Monday. Rain is forecast to begin this afternoon, and change over to snow as the sun sets. The heaviest snow will fall during the overnight hours tonight. Currently, the National Weather Service is calling for accumulation of 5 inches, or more. Temperatures will be in the 20s overnight.

Winds during the storm will gust up to 20 MPH, but average around 10.

Highs on Monday will remain in the lower 30s, meaning travel will be dangerous, and road conditions could remain hazardous throughout the day.

Stay tuned for updates here on the blog, and at @BethesdaRow on Twitter. Not following me on Twitter? This is a good time to correct that problem!