“I expect two major snowfalls in January with snow piling up to as much as 24 inches.” That was straight out of my Winter Weather Outlook from October 21, 2015. Now it’s looking like we will only see one major snowfall this month, but who needs two when you can do it all at once?
In all seriousness though, I am officially forecasting a snowstorm, which has the potential to be one of the worst in Northern Virginia history with snow totals anywhere from 20 to 30 inches. Many areas will see heavy snow along with wind gusts as high as 50 mph officially categorizing it as a blizzard. This blizzard has the potential to give the Blizzard of ’96 a run for its money!
As for timing, I expect this blizzard to begin mid-afternoon Friday and last through most of the day Saturday before ending sometime Saturday evening or early Sunday morning. I expect to see a good 36 hours of steady snowfall. Keep in mind that while I am officially calling this storm a blizzard, we may not actually see blizzard characteristics until Saturday.
In addition, while I am only expecting 20-30 inches of snow, blizzards tend to cause snowdrifts. It is not uncommon to see a snowdrift as high as 10 feet tall. In some cases, a snowdrift may be taller than your house. At the same time, you may have bare grass on the other side of your house for the same reason. For this reason, calculating snow depth may be hindered.
In terms of storm impact, I should remind residents that you might be paralyzed in your houses for as many as four days. Also, loss of electricity during this storm is also possible, so preparations for no indoor heating or refrigeration should be kept in mind.
To close on a positive note, there will be plenty of snow for whatever winter activities you enjoy. Stay safe and enjoy your blizzard!
My favorite thing to do is study the weather. It is truly fascinating. Nothing beats a good thunderstorm. I became very interested in weather when I lived in Okinawa, Japan for four years and was actually inside a super typhoon.
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