High pressure wedging combining with clearing skies resulted in temperatures dropping below freezing. An upper level disturbance passing to the north brought light precipitation to the area.
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The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
High pressure wedging combining with clearing skies resulted in temperatures dropping below freezing. An upper level disturbance passing to the north brought light precipitation to the area. Warm air advection aloft led to the precipitation falling mainly as freezing rain.
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 Mar 25, 3:38 AM EST, 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
438 AM EDT WED MAR 25 2015
.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST TODAY.
A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA LATE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY.
CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN FOR FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
HEADLINE UPDATE...THE FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXPANDED A
COUPLE TIERS OF COUNTIES TO THE NORTH AND EAST. RADAR TRENDS SHOW
A CONTINUED TRAJECTORY OF BLOSSOMING PRECIP ALONG/AHEAD OF AN
APPROACHING WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY. TEMPS STILL BELOW FREEZING...
BY A FEW DEGREES IN SOME OF THE NEW ADVISORY AREA.
PREV DISC...
HIGH PRESSURE IS WEDGED ACROSS THE MID-ATLANTIC WHILE CLEAR SKIES
HAVE LED TO TEMPS DROPPING INTO THE 20S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA.
WARM AIR ADVECTION ALOFT HAS LED TO OVERRUNNING AND A BAND OF LIGHT
PRECIPITATION EXTENDS FROM S MI TO CENTRAL VA THIS MORNING.
PRECIPITATION HAS BLOSSOMED ACROSS WV OVERNIGHT AND WILL CONTINUE
TO LIFT NORTHEAST INTO THE ALLEGHENY HIGHLANDS THIS MORNING. LIGHT
FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE BLUE RIDGE
MTNS...SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND POTOMAC HIGHLANDS. LIGHT FREEZING
RAIN WILL LEAD TO TRACE TO A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH OF
ACCUMULATION THIS MORNING. THE HRRR AND WRFARW HAVE BEEN
PERSISTENT ALL NIGHT BRINGING PRECIPITATION INTO THE REGION.
QUESTION EXISTS HOW FAR EAST THE PRECIPITATION WILL TRAVEL BEFORE
TEMPS RISE ABOVE FREEZING THIS MORNING. WILL BE MONITORING SFC
TEMPS AND RADAR AND EXTENSION MAY BE NEEDED FURTHER NORTH AND
EAST.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL STAY WEDGED ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO RISE INTO THE 40S BUT
AREAS ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS WILL LIKELY REACH THE UPPER 50S TODAY AS
A WARM FRONT MOVES THROUGH. THE WEDGE WILL KEEP EAST OF THE BLUE
RIDGE IN LOW CLOUDS THROUGH THE DAY. LIGHT RAIN IS POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE REGION TODAY AS WARM AIR ADVECTION CONTINUES. HIGH PRESSURE WILL
MOVE OFF THE COAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND LIGHT SOUTHERLY FLOW IS
EXPECTED.
&&
.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
A BULK OF THE DAY THU LOOKS RELATIVELY WARM/DRY...ALBEIT W/ A
LARGE WAA REGION OVERHEAD DURING THAT TIME. VERY LIGHT AND POORLY
ORGANIZED SHOWERS CAN CERTAINLY DEVELOP ANYWHERE IN SUCH A REGION
BUT MUCH OF THE ACTIVITY FOR THU MAY ACTUALLY OCCUR EARLY AND
AGAIN LATE IN THE DAY. TO START THE DAY...ROUNDING THE OUTER
REACHES OF AN OFFSHORE HIGH...SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL SLIDE ACROSS
PORTIONS OF THE AREA FROM SW-TO-NE COINCIDENT W/ A LOW LEVEL JET
MAX. AS THIS FEATURE GETS BUMPED OFF THE COAST...SOME SINKING
AIR...DEPARTING CLOUDS AND WARMING TEMPS SHOULD BE MORE COMMON
HEADING INTO THE LATE MRNG/AFTN HRS.
MEANWHILE...TWO SEPARATE PIECES OF AN INTENSIFYING AND SYSTEM TO
OUR WEST WILL APPROACH FROM THE LOWER OHIO/TENN RVR VLY. THIS
FIRST FEATURE WILL BE A LOW PRES SYSTEM SLIDING OVER THE OHIO VLY
AND EVENTUALLY OFF TO OUR NORTH...STAYING NORTH AND ALLOWING WARM
AIR TO CONTINUE BUILDING INTO THE REGION DURING THE AFTN/EVE. A
DEEPENING UPPER WAVE WELL WEST OF THIS ACTIVITY WILL DIVE DOWN
FROM THE NRN MS VLY AND STRENGTHEN THE PRECIP ACROSS AREAS JUST
AFFECTED BY THE FIRST FEATURE. THIS PIECE OF ENERGY WILL THEN MAKE
ITS WAY ACROSS THE APLCNS LATER THAT EVE...NOT EXPECTED TO MOVE
ACROSS OUR REGION UNTIL FRI. THE POTENTIAL CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY OUT
AHEAD OF THIS DIGGING TROUGH LOOKS TO BE LATE THU NIGHT INTO THE
EARLY MRNG HRS FRI. RESIDUAL INSTABILITY MAY BE MARGINAL AT THAT
POINT...THOUGH LOW LEVEL STEERING FLOW AND NOCTURNAL JET ACTIVITY
MAY MAKE UP FOR IT IN THE WAY OF GUSTY WINDS W/ HEAVIER LOCALIZED
DOWNPOURS. WILL KEEP A PERIOD OF LIKELY POPS IN FOR THE OVERNIGHT
PERIOD...W/ A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN THE DAYTIME POPS FOR THU.
FRI WILL BE ANOTHER USHERING-IN OF CAA W/ DRIER AIR AND
OCCASIONALLY BREEZY NW WINDS. A NOTICEABLE TEMP DROP WILL OCCUR
FROM THU GOING INTO FRI W/ THE COLD FRONT PASSING THRU...AS TEMPS
DROP FROM THE 70S THU AFTN TO THE 40S OVERNIGHT. MAX TEMPS BARELY
REACH THE 50 DEG MARK ON FRI...W/ LOWS FRI NIGHT BACK TOWARD THE
FREEZING MARK. SOME SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY SOME BRIEF
SNOW MIXING IN W/ THE ISOLATED BATCHES ON FRI W/ THE STRONG
PASSAGE OF THE UPPER VORT OVERHEAD.
&&
.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH WILL SWING THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT
INTO SATURDAY BEFORE COLD HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVERHEAD SATURDAY
NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. A NORTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE HIGH WILL USHER
IN UNUSUALLY COLD CONDITIONS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE HIGH WILL
MOVE OFF THE COAST LATER SUNDAY AND MILDER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
IN THE AFTERNOON DUE TO A RETURN FLOW...BUT TEMPS WILL LIKELY
REMAIN BELOW CLIMO.
A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY...BRINGING A CHANCE
FOR SHOWERS. MILDER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITH A SOUTHWEST FLOW
AHEAD OF THE FRONT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN FOR THE MIDDLE
PORTION OF NEXT WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION /09Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
A WARM FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION TODAY AND CIGS WILL LOWER
REACHING MVFR/IFR THIS EVENING. A 40KT LLJ MAY PRODUCE LLWS LATE
TONIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY MORNING. MVFR/IFR CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE TONIGHT BEFORE MIXING OUT THURSDAY MORNING.
BRIEF MVFR CIGS POSSIBLE...SOME IFR LATE WED NIGHT. SOME IMRVMNT
XPCTD THU MRNG INTO THE AFTN...THEN DEGRADING AGAIN LATE IN THE
DAY AND OVRNGT AHD OF A CD FNT. RA XPCTD THU AFTN/OVRNGT W/ ISOLD
TSTMS PSBL. CONDS SHOULD BEGIN IMPRVG AS WINDS TURN TO THE NW FRI.
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
&&
.MARINE...
S WINDS EXPECTED ON THE WATERS TODAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE OFF
THE COAST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND RETURN FLOW WILL ALLOW
WINDS TO INCREASE. A SCA IS IN EFFECT FOR THE BAY NORTH OF DRUM
POINT. S WINDS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT AND GUSTS SHOULD SUBSIDE.
SCA CONDS XPCTD THU AHD OF A CD FNT...W/ ISOLD TSTMS PSBL...THEN
TURNING TO THE NW AFTR MDNGT THU W/ WINDS CONTINUING ABV SCA VALUES
INTO FRI MRNG. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE WATERS FOR THE
WEEKEND.
&&
.TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP WEDNESDAY AND THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL
INCREASE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THURSDAY. THE INCREASED SOUTHERLY
FLOW WILL CAUSE WATER LEVELS TO ELEVATE...AND TIDAL ANOMALIES MAY
BE HIGH ENOUGH FOR MINOR FLOODING NEAR TIMES OF HIGH TIDE THURSDAY
INTO THURSDAY NIGHT.
THE COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH LATER THURSDAY EVENING AND A
NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CAUSE WATER LEVELS TO DECREASE LATE THURSDAY
NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.
&&
.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...NONE.
MD...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EDT TODAY FOR MDZ016-017-501-
502.
VA...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EDT TODAY FOR VAZ026>031-040-
051>053-055-057-501-502-505>508.
WV...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EDT TODAY FOR WVZ050>053-055-
501>506.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING
FOR ANZ530>533-538>541.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 10 AM TO 6 PM EDT THURSDAY FOR
ANZ530>543.
&&
SYNOPSIS...GMS
NEAR TERM...HAS
SHORT TERM...GMS
LONG TERM...GMS/IR
AVIATION...HAS/GMS
MARINE...HAS/GMSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 428 AM EDT WED MAR 25 2015 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ011-013-014-016>018-508-VAZ052>057-261000- 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- 428 AM EDT WED MAR 25 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS MAINLY SOUTH OF THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. PLEASE REFER TO HAZARD MESSAGE WBCWSWLWX FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY GALE FORCE WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT OVER THE TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER AND CHESAPEAKE BAY. .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>506-261000- 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- 428 AM EDT WED MAR 25 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH NOON TODAY... FROM PORTIONS OF THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS...SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE AND FOOTHILLS. PLEASE REFER TO HAZARD MESSAGE WBCWSWLWX FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY 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.
9 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Around a trace of ice was reported in surrounding areas.
Around a trace of ice was reported in surrounding areas.
Around a trace of ice was reported in surrounding areas.
Around a trace of ice was reported in surrounding areas.
Around a trace of ice was reported in surrounding areas.
Around a trace of ice was reported in surrounding areas.
Around a trace of ice was reported in surrounding areas.
Around a trace of ice was reported in surrounding areas.
Around a trace of ice was reported in surrounding areas.
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, March 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: 567478, 567471, 567472, 567473, 567474, 567475, 567476, 567477, 567470.