Sunday, November 23, 2014

DC Thanksgiving Week: Warmth Precedes Travel-Disrupting Storm

By , Senior Meteorologist
November 23,2014; 9:44PM,EST
 
 
 
The warmth surging into Washington, D.C., will not last long this Thanksgiving week with a storm threatening to significantly disrupt holiday travel on the horizon.
While the weekend ended on a milder note, the passage of rain Sunday night will open the door for a taste of spring on Monday.
Monday will feel more like May with temperatures breaking the day's record high of 74 F from 1958. Dry weather will compliment the springlike warmth.
Residents should not put jackets too deep into their closets as Monday's warmth will not last long.

As quick as temperatures soar, cooler air will knock temperatures back down into the 50s on Tuesday. A high in the lower to mid-50s is more common this time of year.
Attention will then turn toward a storm that is set to ride up the East Coast and threaten to create Thanksgiving travel nightmares on Wednesday.
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Detailed Washington, D.C. Forecast
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The precise impacts from the storm will be determined by the exact track the storm takes along the East Coast.
The best scenario for Thanksgiving travelers would be in the storm remains weak and stays far enough offshore for rain to graze or even bypass the nation's capital.
However, concern is growing that the storm will be strengthening and tracking closer to the coast. This scenario would bring more widespread soaking rain and snow to Washington, D.C.
If the stronger storm scenario pans out, latest indications point toward the heaviest snow targeting the northern and western suburbs. However, snow could even accumulate in the nation's capital. A slight eastward shift in the storm's track could put the city in the heaviest snow band.

Travelers planning to head to their Thanksgiving Day destinations on Wednesday should continue to check back with AccuWeather.com for the latest on this storm and start considering travel alternatives in the event this major travel-disrupting scenario unfolds.
Soaking rain alone would lead to slowdowns by reducing visibility and heightening the risk of vehicles hydroplaning at highways speeds. Snow will make roads treacherous and dramatically delay motorists. Airline passengers should prepare for lengthy delays and possible cancellations.
Regardless of exactly which areas receive rain or snow, Tuesday night would definitely be a better option for travelers to leave the area. Conditions will only worsen as Wednesday progresses.
The storm's rain and snow will clear Washington, D.C., by Thanksgiving Day, giving way to a chilly holiday.

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