Rain ending tonight, Winter Storm Watch issued...

 The cold front has passed and temperatures are dropping tonight to the upper 30s with some rain. Saturday will be cloudy in the morning with some lingering showers then clearing with highs in near 40. Saturday night will be clear with temperatures in the mid 20s and sunday will feature the weather event of the week, the appearance of old man winter.

The National Weather service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for our region spanning from just west of DC into West Virginia. Main hazards include snow and sleet during the onset on Sunday changing to freezing rain before finally changing to rain by Monday morning as warm southerly flow from the south erodes the cold air over our region.

The National Weather Service Watch text below, bold and color added for emphasis

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
233 PM EST FRI DEC 6 2013

DCZ001-MDZ004>007-009>011-013-014-016-VAZ039-040-042-050>057-501-
502-070345-
/O.EXB.KLWX.WS.A.0008.131208T1400Z-131209T1200Z/
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-NORTHERN BALTIMORE-
HARFORD-MONTGOMERY-HOWARD-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES-
ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-LOUDOUN-ORANGE-CULPEPER-
PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX-
ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA-
KING GEORGE-NORTHERN FAUQUIER-SOUTHERN FAUQUIER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WASHINGTON...FREDERICK...WESTMINSTER...
GAITHERSBURG...COLUMBIA...BALTIMORE...ANNAPOLIS...WALDORF...
LEESBURG...CULPEPER...MANASSAS...MANASSAS PARK...FAIRFAX...
ALEXANDRIA...FALLS CHURCH...FREDERICKSBURG...WARRENTON
233 PM EST FRI DEC 6 2013

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH
MONDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS
ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY
MORNING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE...SNOW AND SLEET WILL CHANGE OVER TO FREEZING
  RAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON. FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO LAST UNTIL
  LATE SUNDAY NIGHT OR MONDAY MORNING BEFORE CHANGING TO RAIN.

* ACCUMULATIONS...1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET AND A QUARTER
  INCH OR MORE OF ICE ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE.

* TIMING...SNOW AND SLEET ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN SUNDAY MORNING. A
  CHANGEOVER TO FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED MIDDAY SUNDAY AND WILL
  CONTINUE INTO THE NIGHT BEFORE CHANGING OVER TO RAIN LATE SUNDAY
  NIGHT OR MONDAY MORNING.

* TEMPERATURES...AROUND 30 DEGREES.

* WINDS...LIGHT NORTHERLY WINDS.

* IMPACTS...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE PROBABLE DUE TO SLICK
  ROADS AND ICY CONDITIONS SUNDAY AND POSSIBLY INTO MONDAY.
  INCREASED POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

The mixture of sleet and snow would be more dense than normal snow and would cool down the road surface more effectively leading to more accumulations. what is worrying is the ice. at last an quarter inch is possible, which means accumulation may exceed the 1/4 inch criteria for an ice storm. this will cause major headaches for travel and may cause power outages.Remember to stay safe  and heed all NWS warnings

Thanks for reading, 

-Alex