Freezing rain on Friday morning

A First Alert has been declared from the WBTV weather team for Friday to highlight the potential for freezing rain in the morning and widespread rain into Friday afternoon and night.

We could see a period of freezing rain and drizzle beginning in the Virginia suburbs around sunrise Friday. There is a chance for freezing rain in D.C., but if the rain starts after 9 a.m., temperatures could be above freezing and D.C. will just get regular rain.

The rain may slack up at times today but will stay quite likely even into the evening and overnight hours. Temperatures in the afternoon will be in the upper 30s and lower 40s - not much warming at all!

Cold air may be slow to erode, and the threat of ice may persist in some of the deeper valleys in our western and northern region until late Friday morning or early Friday afternoon.

Within our viewing area, some light freezing rain will be possible north and west of Richmond.  This chance is a little higher in Stafford, Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Orange, Louisa, Fluvanna and western Goochland counties.  Slick spots are possible, but these areas are not included in the advisory.

Freezing rain falls as a liquid, but then turns to ice as it hits ground surfaces that are at or below 32°.

“I think the most likely time for precipitation moving into the area, at least Carroll County specifically, would be between say 9 a.m. and noon, in that time frame,” said Brian LaSorsa, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Sterling, Virginia. “If it does hold off until mid to late morning, most of it would be rain.”

Rain will develop and continue Friday night and could be heavy at times as well. Lingering showers on Saturday will wind down as we warm to around 54. Windy but sunny and dry weather returns on Sunday!