Storm could bring snow flurries to evening commute

D.C.-area residents could face snow flurries during their commute home on Wednesday, weather officials said, thanks to a nor’easter packing wind and rain that’s making its way up the East Coast.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jared Klein said the storm bringing wintry weather is forecast to hit the Washington region at rush hour, but likely won’t be more than a “couple sprinkles mixing in with wet snowflakes and flurries.”

“We’re not expecting a whole lot,” Mr. Klein said. “It’s pretty much little or nothing, and maybe on grassy surfaces.”

While visibility might get reduced, Mr. Klein said “it shouldn’t be much of an issue” for drivers.

The storm, which gathered its strength from cold winds blowing off the Atlantic Ocean, is predicted to follow a similar path to the one Superstorm Sandy took last week when it wiped out coastal towns in New Jersey and flooded Lower Manhattan in New York City.

Weather officials said a high wind watch would be in effect through Thursday morning for areas between Philadelphia and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. A coastal flood watch for the same period had also been issued for the coast of New Jersey and Delmarva Peninsula.

Several airlines including United Airlines and Delta cancelled flights in anticipation of the storm. Residents in some seaside areas of New Jersey were already being ordered to evacuate in anticipation of additional flooding.

Mr. Klein said a snow advisory had been issued for north of Baltimore, but only for one to two inches of snow.

Last week the superstorm dumped up to three feet of snow in some areas of Western Maryland, compounding the work of utility crews trying to fix downed power lines.

Only this weekend did parts of New York City get its power restored.

Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Joan Morris said as of Wednesday morning it appeared the state “dodged a bullet once again.”

She said skeleton crews at various maintenance headquarters in Virginia would be available Wednesday evening “to respond to any issue.”

The roads were not being pretreated, Ms. Morris said, because the temperature is not forecasted to drop below freezing.

Mr. Klein said the mercury would be in the mid- to upper 30s by the early evening.

“I think we’re in good shape, but we will have crews available to do sanding if needed,” Ms. Morris said.

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