real

It actually seems to be getting colder in downtown. Ice building up even on mulch and sidewalks that were just wet this morning are getting icy. If this continues into evening, could be really nasty here

Near Downtown DC, it seems to be accretion on some trees, but not on other trees, even in some cases right next to each other. I find this to be unusual.

Legit freezing rain near Downtown DC. Cars, all metal objects and unsalted brick sidewalks coated in ice. Street and salted-sidewalks seem just wet.

Steady light snow in Downtown DC. -- First hints of becoming a car topper. (Edit: Radar shows a very small band of snow, moving north to south through the east side of DC)

Not sure the temperature but misty drizzle and extremely light snow flakes in DC.

The thing I thought that was odd about the LWX Watch was where it said "Travel could become nearly impossible." -- -- That is pretty harsh wording, usually only reserved for the biggest and most troublesome events. And modern ice storms around here rarely seem to cause too much havoc on major interstates, especially when forecast ahead of time considering the amount of pre treating and salting that occurs now.

Yea, but even among those 5 events, the only one that would really been that big of storm, if i recall correctly, is the two-day Miller B two weeks ago that hit NYC. Ji has been correct. Most things seem to have also trended drier, faster, etc, as they have approached this region this winter. And many of these events were not even that close to stay all-snow, despite what the models suggested was possible a few days ahead of time. . I could live with missing a storm because you live in the city and the snow/rain line sets up in Fairfax... But most of these storms have been an all-encompassing screw job for the entire close-in DC region, and it all just seems to fall apart on approach.

DC local news says light accumulations along 270 corridor start around Germantown and Frederick, where they are doing live shots, from, has 1 inch on the ground

Stating to remind me of the UHI effect I saw a few times in NYC. There have been times in very marginal storms where there was no accumulation at all in Times Square/Midtown, but if you just walked 5 blocks west to 10th or 11th Ave near the Hudson, you would find 3 or 4 inches of snow had fallen..

Light Rain/snow mix in DC lowland neighborhoods near Downtown

Going to be hard to keep people in DC and NOVA invested in this winter much longer.. This was supposed to be the one storm that was A) Easy to track. B ) Overrunning and hard to miss us C ) Cold and all snow D) Depending on model runs, wedged between jackpot just north or a jackpot just south, so in a good position. Yet, it looks like we are going to still fail.

And seasonal trend for I-95 seems to be the mix line always creeps a bit farther north, and faster, than the models suggest... (And that also includes Philadelphia and New York areas during their storms).

I am not saying it won't stick, but one key of a good DC snow is at some point you need at least some good rates, or you tend to lose almost as much as you are gaining, especially if this is broken up over two daylight cycles. Temperatures may help this time, but temperatures usually end up warmer than modeled in the city, absent at least some good rates at some point during the "storm"

Part of the issue is also the duration, and we are talking about 2 waves over 2 days. Maybe the cold this time will work a bit more magic than past storms. But even in D.C and close-in suburbs, I don't know how you can feel that confident that .6 of precip over two days is really going to get the job done, when you consider how dense environments/pavement have a tendency to eat away at snow, even with below-freezing temperatures. A 2 to 4 inch snow over two days could easily really end being a very minor event, when you see what remains.

DC has been on the losing end of modeled gradients like that all winter, so highly doubt many in the city would be comfortable with a GFS-like solution, if it holds. Thankfully, Euro and Nam look farther south

Not sure most will care because many probably doubted the forecast in the first place, but this a pretty big bust for. LWX. Forecast was for 4 to 6 in DC, and many parts of the city saw zero accumulation.

All rain in downtown DC. Not even any mangled flakes mixed in.

I lived in Baltimore in the early 2000s, and I remember a few small events back then when Baltimore would end up with 1 to 3 or even 3 to 5 inches, while very little fell in DC. Now, our fate seems more closely connected than had been the case. Maybe just coincidence since it seems like we get fewer smallish snow events in general now. But I do wonder if something else is at work.

Baltimore City used to do o.k. even when DC failed in marginal events. I wonder if the UHI effect, due to more growth in the corridor, is playing a role, or if climate warming is pushing the fail zone farther north.

I'd be shocked if DCA ends up reporting even a half-inch. Probably just a trace over there, which should put us well on-our-way to having a below-average season for snowfall. Normal for this point in the year is 9.8. Before today, DCA was at 3.5

It's basically stopped in downtown DC. Just a few flakes mixed with drizzle.

I am near downtown DC, and the only thing accumulating here is puddles of water. Some light slush building up on car tops, but even there, only on the cars that have been parked in one spot for days...

Well, all you have to do is look at the traffic cameras. There is clearly a nasty UHL effect in the cities. Elevation seems to help in the immediate suburbs north of Washington DC, and northern part of Baltimore Beltway some, but this storm is what it is, and it's not hard to see if you just look at easily available and accurate traffic cameras https://chart.maryland.gov/trafficcameras/index.php

Most Traffic cameras show wet and no accumulation in Baltimore too, especially inside the Beltway and even many along 695. https://www.weatherbug.com/traffic-cam/baltimore-md-21217

You get a grip and look up the definition.