Cold air remained wedged over the area as high pressure retreated to the north. Strong southerly flow ahead of a cold front injected in warmer air aloft, resulting in widespread mixed precipitation.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
Cold air remained wedged over the area as high pressure retreated to the north. Strong southerly flow ahead of a cold front injected in warmer air aloft, resulting in widespread mixed precipitation. Freezing rain was noted mainly at higher elevations, with sleet and rain at the lower elevations.
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 Jan 29, 1:24 PM EST, 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
124 PM EST THU JAN 29 2015
.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE OFF THE COAST THIS MORNING. A COLD FRONT
WILL SWING THROUGH THE REGION LATE TODAY INTO TONIGHT. A STRONG
PRESSURE GRADIENT AHEAD OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING WINDY AND COLD
CONDITIONS FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER
THE AREA SATURDAY...BUT LOW PRESSURE MAY IMPACT THE AREA LATER
SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. COLD HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN FOR THE MIDDLE
PORTION OF NEXT WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
UPDATE...THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXPANDED A TIER OF
COUNTIES TO THE SOUTH AND EAST...INCLUDING MUCH OF THE WESTERN AND
NORTHERN WASHINGTON DC SUBURBS AND MUCH OF THE BALTIMORE METRO
AREA. THE ADZY GOES INTO EFFECT AT 3PM UNTIL PM FOR AREAS E OF THE
BLUE RIDGE MTNS. A STRONG COLD FRONT IS QUICKLY ARRIVING OVER THE
APLCNS FROM THE WEST...PRECIP OUT AHEAD WILL LIKELY MIX DOWN INTO
THE COLD/DRY AIR AND POTENTIALLY FREEZING ON SFCS WHERE TEMPS
REMAIN AOB FREEZING.
FROM PREV DISC...
SOUTHERLY FLOW AT THE SFC WILL ALLOW TEMPS AND DEWPTS TO RISE
TODAY. SNOW PACK ACROSS THE NRN MID-ATLANTIC WILL SLOW TEMPS FROM
RISING AS FAST AS CENTRAL VA AND SOUTHERN MD. SFC TEMPS WILL BE A
CONCERN TODAY AS THE GROUND IS FROZEN IN MANY PLACES. CLOUD COVER
MOVING OVERHEAD WILL ALSO SLOW TEMPS FROM RISING TODAY AS WELL.
THAT BEING SAID...TEMPS WILL RANGE FROM THE LOW 30S NEAR THE MD/PA
BORDER TO THE LOW 40S FROM DCA-CHO-NHK. THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL
HELP SCOUR OUT VALLEYS WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AS WELL AND SHD-
WOO-W99 SHOULD RISE INTO THE UPPER 30S. A CAVEAT IS THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS ON THE BLUE RIDGE AND WESTWARD. ZR IS POSSIBLE AS TEMPS
MAY STAY BELOW FREEZING. WILL NEED TO MONITOR AND ADVISORY MAY BE
NEEDED.
A WINTER WX ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE
EVENING FOR MUCH OF THE NRN OUTLOOK AREA. TEMPS WILL BE CLOSELY
MONITORED TODAY. DCA IS ALREADY AT 31 DEGREES BUT SURROUNDING
SUBURBS ARE IN THE 20S. THERE IS UNCERTAINTY REGARDING PTYPE NEAR
THE I-95 CORRIDOR DURING THE EVENING RUSH HOUR. AT THIS TIME...TEMPS
ARE FCST TO GO ABOVE FREEZING EAST OF THE WINTER WX ADVISORY. AS
GUIDANCE COMES IN THIS MORNING DECISIONS WILL BE MADE IF WE NEED TO
EXTEND THE ADVISORY FURTHER EAST.
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE AWAY FROM MOST AREAS THIS EVENING AND THE
COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS THROUGH OVERNIGHT. GUSTY NORTHWEST
WINDS ARE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE RIDGES.
UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT ALONG AND WEST OF THE
ALLEGHENY FRONT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE
AREAS.
&&
.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
LOW PRESSURE WILL INTENSIFY OVER NEW ENGLAND FRIDAY WHILE HIGH
PRESSURE APPROACHES FROM THE MIDWEST. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT
BETWEEN THESE SYSTEMS WILL BE QUITE STRONG...RESULTING IN GUSTY
NORTHWEST WINDS. WIND GUSTS AROUND 45 TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE AND A
WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA. THE STRONG
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL USHER IN COLD CONDITIONS. IN FACT...TEMPS MAY
HOLD STEADY OR EVEN FALL THROUGHOUT THE DAY. TEMPS FRIDAY
AFTERNOON WILL RANGE FROM THE SINGLE DIGITS IN ALLEGHENY HIGHLANDS
TO THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 30S IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND. MORE UPSLOPE
SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND WEST OF THE ALLEGHENY FRONT.
THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES UNTIL NOON...BUT SNOW
SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON AS WELL.
FOR LOCATIONS EAST OF THE ALLEGHENY FRONT...A FEW SNOW SHOWERS ARE
POSSIBLE FRIDAY AS ANOTHER POTENT UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE SWINGS
THROUGH THE AREA. MOST AREAS WILL NOT SEE ACCUMULATING SNOW...BUT
THERE WILL BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO COMBINE WITH STRONG COLD
ADVECTION FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A FEW BURSTS OF HEAVIER SNOW
SHOWERS. THIS COULD LEAVE A QUICK COATING IN SPOTS AND WITH SUDDEN
CHANGES IN VISIBILITY THAT COULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON
TRAVEL...ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE LOCALIZED. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THE
HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE ACROSS NORTHERN MARYLAND...EASTERN
WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
COLD AND DRY CONDITIONS FRI NIGHT AS SFC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTH
AND EAST. LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE ALLEGHENY FRONT FRI
EVENING EXPECTED TO DIMINISH AS THE NW FLOW INJECTS MUCH DRIER AIR.
MAIN CONCERN FOR FRIDAY NIGHT WILL BE THE WELL BELOW NORMAL
TEMPS...ALMOST 10-15 DEGREES BELOW. COMBINING WITH NW WINDS WITH
GUSTS 20-30 KTS...AND IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS 30-35 KTS...WIND CHILLS
FORECASTED TO DROP TO AROUND -10 DEGREES CELSIUS POTOMAC
HIGHLANDS...NEGATIVE SINGLE DIGITS ALONG THE MASON-DIXON LINE...AND
POSITIVE SINGLE DIGITS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. WILL CONTINUE TO
HIGHLIGHT THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY POTENTIAL IN THE HWO...MAINLY FOR
THE FAR WESTERN AREAS. USED A BLEND OF ADJMETBC/MOSBC WHICH HAS BEEN
TRENDING WELL FOR OVERNIGHT TEMPS.
&&
.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
CENTER OF THE HIGH SLIPS SOUTHEAST INTO THE SE US SAT WHILE A NEAR
ZONAL FLOW SETS UP DURING THE DAY...AND WEAK RIDGING BUILDS SAT
NIGHT-SUN MORNING. THE PATTERN KEEPS THE AREA DRY THOUGH COLD THRU
SAT WITH TEMPS STILL RUNNING BELOW NORMAL. WARMING TREND BY SAT
NIGHT AS WINDS BACK TO SW FLOW...WITH 850MB TEMPS WARMING TO AROUND
-5 DEGREES CELSIUS.
NEXT CHC FOR PCPN SUN-MON WITH SFC LOW DEVELOPING OVER GOM AND
RIDING A NEAR STATIONARY FRONT TO OUR SOUTH. SOME QUESTION REMAINS
ON PCPN TIMING AND INTENSITY...AND AS SUCH THEN P-TYPE. GFS/CMC
STRONGER SOLUTIONS WITH THE LOW DEVELOPMENT AS UPPER LVL TROUGH DIGS
DEEPER SOUTH...AND PICKS UP SHORTWAVE ENERGY RIDING THE SOUTHERN
STREAM...WHILE THE ECMWF KEEPS MORE OF A SEPARATION. WENT WITH
LIKELY POPS BY SUN AFTN OVER WESTERN AREAS TO HIGHLIGHT THE HIGHER
CONFIDENCE OF PCPN...THEN SPREADING THE LIKELY POPS TO THE EAST FOR
SUN NIGHT-MON. CONCERNING PCPN TYPE...MAINTAINED MAINLY A SNOW
EVENT...WITH PSBL TRANSITION TO RAIN DURING THE AFTN SUN OVER JUST
THE FAR SOUTHERN AREAS OF THE CWA. HIGHER CONFIDENCE ANY PCPN ON
MONDAY REMAINS ALL SNOW WITH 850MB TEMPS DROPPING -10 TO -15 DEGREES
CELSIUS DURING THE DAY. AS THE LOW BECOMES CLEARER ON SUBSEQUENT
SHIFTS...WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON P-TYPE AND AMTS AT
THE ONSET.
PCPN CLEARS THE AREA BY TUES MORNING...WITH SFC HIGH BRINGING
ANOTHER PERIOD OF DRY AND COLD TEMPS. TRENDED COLDER WITH HIGHS TUES
AND LOWS TUES NIGHT AS A RESULT. MODEL DIVERGENCE BY MID WEEK ON THE
HANDLING OF THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...WITH PCPN PSBL ONCE AGAIN
LATE WED-THURS.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. A BRIEF PERIOD OF WINTRY
PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS
EVENING. DRIER CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TONIGHT. STRONG NORTHWEST
WINDS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY WITH A COUPLE SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE.
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST AROUND 35 TO 40 KNOTS FRIDAY.
FRIDAY NIGHT-SAT NIGHT...VFR LIKELY...PSBL SUB-VFR LATE SAT NIGHT.
GUSTY NW WINDS 15-20 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KTS FRI NIGHT...BCMG LESS
THAN 10 KTS BY SAT AFTN. PSBL LLWS FRI NIGHT WITH 2KFT WINDS 40-50
KTS.
SUN-MON...SUB-VFR LIKELY WITH PCPN...PSBL SUB-IFR SUN NIGHT/MON
MORNING. WINTRY MIX PSBL. INCREASING NW WINDS MON...GUSTS TO 20 KTS.
MON NIGHT-TUES NIGHT...VFR LIKELY.
WED-WED NIGHT...SUB-VFR PSBL WITH PCPN.
&&
.MARINE...
SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT TODAY. THE COLD
FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH TONIGHT AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS ARE
EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT FRIDAY. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN
EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE WATERS THROUGH TONIGHT. A GALE WARNING
IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS FRIDAY.
GALES LIKELY AT LEAST FIRST HALF OF FRIDAY NIGHT ON CHESAPEAKE
BAY...AND POSSIBLY ON THE UPPER POTOMAC. OCNL GALES MAY LINGER TILL
DAYBREAK SAT ON THE BAY. WINDS SUBSIDE SAT BUT REMAINING 15-20 KTS
DURING THE DAY. WINDS DIMINISH SAT NIGHT...AND REMAIN SUB-SCA
THROUGH SUNDAY. DEPENDING ON THE TRACK OF THE LOW SUN
NIGHT-MON...SCA CONDITIONS WILL BECOME POSSIBLE AGAIN. SUB-SCA
CONDITIONS RETURN FOR MID WEEK.
&&
.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...NONE.
MD...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EST FRIDAY FOR MDZ501.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR MDZ003-
502.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR
MDZ004>006-011-503>508.
VA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EST FRIDAY FOR VAZ503.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR VAZ027-
028-030-031-504.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR VAZ052-
053-501-505-506.
WV...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EST FRIDAY FOR WVZ501-503-
505.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR
WVZ050>053-055-502-504-506.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EST FRIDAY FOR ANZ530>534-
537>543.
GALE WARNING FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM EST FRIDAY FOR ANZ530>543.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR ANZ535-
536.
&&
UPDATE...GMS
PREV DISCUSSION...HAS/BJL/SEARSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 118 PM EST THU JAN 29 2015 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ011-013-014-016>018-508-VAZ052>057-301000- 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- 118 PM EST THU JAN 29 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 A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR PRINCE WILLIAM... FAIRFAX...BALTIMORE AND HARFORD COUNTIES INTO THE EVENING HOURS FOR A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. PLEASE REFER TO WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE WBCWSWLWX FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS FRIDAY. A GALE WARNING WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FRIDAY NIGHT FOR PORTIONS OF THE WATERS. WIND ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONALLY...WIND CHILL VALUES BELOW ZERO ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY MORNING ACROSS THE NORTHERN BALTIMORE METRO. WINTRY PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. .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>506-301000- WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-NORTHERN BALTIMORE- EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY- NORTHWEST MONTGOMERY-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN 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- 118 PM EST THU JAN 29 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 A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN MARYLAND... THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE AND PORTIONS OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. PLEASE REFER TO WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE WBCWSWLWX FOR FURTHER DETAILS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT LATE TONIGHT FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND WEST OF THE ALLEGHENY FRONT FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND WEST OF THE ALLEGHENY FRONT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. ADDITIONAL SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THESE AREAS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WIND ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONALLY...WIND CHILL VALUES BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT MAINLY NORTH AND WEST OF BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON DC INCLUDING WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS. WINTRY PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A trace of ice along with a trace of sleet was reported.
Between a trace to a hundredth of an inch of ice along with a trace of sleet was reported.
Between a trace to a tenth of an inch of ice along with a tenth of an inch of sleet was reported.
Between a trace and 0.02 of an inch of ice along with a trace of sleet was reported.
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, January 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: 556833, 556834, 556835, 556832.