High pressure over the region led to light winds. A wedge of clearing skies extending from central Maryland down into central Virginia combining with the light winds and low dew point depressions produced areas of dense fog.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
High pressure over the region led to light winds. A wedge of clearing skies extending from central Maryland down into central Virginia combining with the light winds and low dew point depressions produced areas of dense fog.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 9, 2:57 PM EST, 5 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 257 PM EST WED DEC 9 2015 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOW PRESSURE WILL PASS TO THE WEST OF THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... EAST OF THE BLURDG...MRNG FOG HAS MORPHED INTO AFTN STRATUS. THERES SOME FOG TOO...BUT VSBYS AT A CPL MILES NOT A MAJOR IMPACT ANYMORE. VSBL SATPIX INDICATE ITS LOCKED IN PLACE...TRAPPED UNDER SUBSIDENCE INVSN. XPCT STATUS QUO THRU SUNSET. NARRE GDNC SUGGESTING FOG MAY RDVLP ACRS METRO BALT/CENTRL MD AFTER DARK. MENTION THIS AS A PSBLTY...BUT AM NOT TOO CERTAIN ABOUT IT. AM FOCUSING FCST ON CLDS INSTEAD. SHARP H5 TROF AXIS CROSSING CWFA TNGT. AM THINKING BEST TIMING WL BE CENTERED ON MIDNGT +/- A FEW HRS. THIS FEATURE WL MOST LKLY BE THE CULPRIT TO SCOUR OUT THE LLVL MSTR. AM THINKING ITS VIGOROUS ENUF TO BRING A LTL PCPN EAST OF THE APLCNS. HV ADDED SCHC POPS NW OF SHD- IAD-DMH...ALTHO SPRINKLES MAY BE MORE PREVALENT. HIEST POPS WL BE I THE MTNS. WL BE IN THE WAKE OF THE S/WV THU...WHICH WL BRING BETTER CONDS. HWVR...RESIDUAL UPR LVL MSTR MAY PRTLY OBSCURE SUN. INCREASED INSOLATION AND RISING H8 TEMPS SUGGEST MAXT CUD COME CLOSE TO 60F AGN...SPCLY CENTRAL VA UP TO DC. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE WILL BEGIN TO STRENGTHEN AND SHIFT GRADUALLY EASTWARD TO OFF THE CAROLINA COAST LATE THIS WEEK. THIS WILL PUT THE REGION IN A MILD SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW. A SHORTWAVE WILL PIVOT ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING BRINGING WITH IT AN INCREASE IN CLOUDS. BUT THE PROGRESSIVE/ZONAL FLOW WILL LIKELY NOT ALLOW ENOUGH TIME FOR MOISTURE/FORCING TO INCREASE ENOUGH TO RESULT IN ANY LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPMENT OR PRECIPITATION OVER THE AREA. CLOUDS WILL CLEAR AS RIDGING BUILDS FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...INTO THE 60S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... VERY LITTLE HAS CHANGED FROM PAST DAYS WITH REGARDS TO FORECAST IN THE LONG TERM...WITH ANOMALOUS WARM AIR THROUGH THE WEEKEND FOLLOWED BY FRONTAL PASSAGE SOMETIME MONDAY. SPRING-LIKE WEATHER OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE M/U 60S AND PERHAPS SOME 70S...WHICH WILL APPROACH RECORDS AT SOME SPOTS. AS EXPECTED BASED ON SYNOPTIC PATTERN...SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND HIGH TO OUR SOUTHEAST ADVECTING WARM/MOIST AIR INTO REGION...GUIDANCE CONTINUES NUDGING CLOSER TO THE ECMWF...WHICH HAS BEEN ONE OF THE WARMEST OF THE OPERATIONAL MODELS THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. WHILE IT WILL BE WARM...CLOUD COVER WILL LIKELY INCREASE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY AND MIGHT LAST THROUGH TUESDAY. LARGE SPREAD CONTINUES WITH TIMING OF FRONTAL PASSAGE ON MONDAY. ECMWF HAS BEEN THE MOST CONSISTENT GUIDANCE THE PAST FEW DAYS...WHILE THE GFS HAS BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE. CURRENT FORECAST HAS FRONTAL PASSAGE MONDAY AFTERNOON...WITH RAIN SHOWERS ALONG THE FRONT. QUESTIONS ALSO REMAIN WITH REGARDS TO QPF...THOUGH PROGRESSIVE NATURE WILL LIKELY PREVENT AMOUNTS FROM BEING EXCESSIVE. SECONDARY COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH TUESDAY...HELPING TO SCOUR OUT MOISTURE. && .AVIATION /20Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... MVFR OR BETTER INVOF BWI/MTN ATTM...WHILE AOB IFR ELSW. NARRE GDNC CONTS TO BE PERFORMING BEST TDA. FOG PROBS REMAIN LOW THRU THE AFTN...WHILE CIGS LKLY TO REMAIN AOB 1000 FT THRU DUSK. SO IFR WL PREVAIL...BUT FOCUS WL SHIFT FM VSBYS TO CIGS. THERE ARE SOME HINTS THAT THE FOG WL TRY TO RETURN AFDK ACRS MD AND ERN WVA. HV REDUCED CONFIDENCE AT THAT HAPPENING...AND AM NOT INCLUDING THAT IN FCSTS ATTM-- AT LEAST NOT TO ANY GREAT EXTENT. FCSTG IFR TO LOW END MVFR NONETHELESS DUE TO CIGS. UPR LVL DISTURBANCE CROSSING THE TERMINALS TNGT...TWD MIDNGT. THIS FEATURE WL LKLY BE THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY FOR SCOURING OUT THE LLVL MSTR. HWVR IT/LL BE ACCOMPANIED BY HIER CLDS...CIGS 050-060. VFR WL PREVAIL THU-THU NGT IN HIPRES BHD DISTURBANCE. LIGHT WINDS COULD LEAD TO AREAS OF FOG DEVELOPMENT ESPECIALLY FOR TERMINALS AWAY FROM THE METRO AREAS THURSDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN ON FRIDAY NIGHT. OTHERWISE VFR IS EXPECTED WITH LIGHT SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AT OR BELOW 10 KNOTS. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY UNDER HIGH PRESSURE. SUB-VFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY MONDAY WITH SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE...THOUGH TIMING IS STILL IN QUESTION. && .MARINE... SLY FLOW HAS PICKED UP-- ON THE CUSP OF SCA CRITERIA ON THE BAY. OBS OUTPACING ANY GDNC ATTM. HV ISSUED A MWS TIL COURSE OF ACTION BECOMES MORE CLEAR. DONT SEE MUCH OF A CHG IN THE PTTN THIS EVNG. QSTN IS WHETHER MIXING PROFILE CHGS. DISTURBANCE WL BE CROSSING WATERS TNGT AFTR MIDNGT. IN ITS WAKE WNDS WL BE LGT TMRW. WITH HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING OVER THE AREA...WINDS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL REMAIN BELOW SCA THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEKEND. WINDS BEGIN TO INCREASE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY IN SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF APPROACHING COLD FRONT. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... TIDAL ANOMALIES HAVE RISEN THIS AFTERNOON AS SOUTHERLY FLOW INCREASES MODESTLY. MORE VULNERABLE AREAS SUCH AS ANNAPOLIS MAY COME CLOSE TO MINOR FLOOD...BUT NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO HOIST AN ADVISORY ATTM. && .CLIMATE... WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND. BELOW IS A LIST OF RECORD DAILY WARM TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER 12TH...13TH AND 14TH. DECEMBER 12TH RECORD HIGHS DCA...71 DEGREES (1873) BWI...71 DEGREES (1979) IAD...72 DEGREES (1979) DECEMBER 13TH RECORD HIGH MINIMUMS DCA...51 DEGREES (1991/1931) BWI...51 DEGREES (1919) IAD...52 DEGREES (1991) DECEMBER 13TH RECORD HIGHS DCA...71 DEGREES (1889) BWI...69 DEGREES (1889) IAD...71 DEGREES (1984) DECEMBER 14TH RECORD HIGH MINIMUMS DCA...58 DEGREES (1901) BWI...53 DEGREES (1901) IAD...53 DEGREES (2001) DECEMBER 14TH RECORD HIGHS DCA...70 DEGREES (1931/1929/1881) BWI...71 DEGREES (1929/1881) IAD...67 DEGREES (2001) && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HTS/DFH NEAR TERM...HTS SHORT TERM...DFH LONG TERM...MSE AVIATION...HTS/DFH/MSE MARINE...HTS/DFH/MSE TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...DFH CLIMATE...DFH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1259 PM EST WED DEC 9 2015 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ011-013-014-016>018-508-VAZ052>057-101500- CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA- PATAPSCO RIVER INCLUDING BALTIMORE HARBOR- CHESTER RIVER TO QUEENSTOWN MD-EASTERN BAY- CHOPTANK RIVER TO CAMBRIDGE MD AND THE LITTLE CHOPTANK RIVER- PATUXENT RIVER TO BROOMES ISLAND MD- TANGIER SOUND AND THE INLAND WATERS SURROUNDING BLOODSWORTH ISLAND-DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES- ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS-CALVERT-SOUTHEAST HARFORD- PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA- KING GEORGE- 1259 PM EST WED DEC 9 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY...TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER...AND ADJACENT COUNTIES IN CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MDZ003>006-501>507-VAZ025>031-036>040-050-051-501>508-WVZ050>053- 055-501>506-101500- WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-NORTHERN BALTIMORE- EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY- NORTHWEST MONTGOMERY-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTGOMERY- NORTHWEST HOWARD-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST HOWARD-NORTHWEST HARFORD- AUGUSTA-ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-FREDERICK VA-PAGE-WARREN-CLARKE- NELSON-ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-ORANGE-CULPEPER- NORTHERN FAUQUIER-SOUTHERN FAUQUIER-WESTERN HIGHLAND- EASTERN HIGHLAND-WESTERN LOUDOUN-EASTERN LOUDOUN- NORTHERN VA BLUE RIDGE-CENTRAL VA BLUE RIDGE-HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN- BERKELEY-JEFFERSON-HARDY-WESTERN GRANT-EASTERN GRANT- WESTERN MINERAL-EASTERN MINERAL-WESTERN PENDLETON- EASTERN PENDLETON- 1259 PM EST WED DEC 9 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA... NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AND CENTRAL AND WESTERN MARYLAND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GARRETT COUNTY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.
JYO reported reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less.
HWY reported reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less.
CJR reported reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less.
IAD reported reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less.
RMN reported reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less.
OKV reported reduced visibilities of one quarter mile or less.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, December 2015
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 610291, 610294, 610296, 610292, 610295, 610293.