Bitter cold holds firm as DC region faces aftermath of wintry weekend storm
The wintry weekend storm has moved on, leaving behind rock-hard piles of snow and bitter cold for people across the District, Maryland and Virginia to deal with.
With anywhere from five inches to nearly a foot of snowfall across the D.C. region, along with a glaze of ice in parts to the south and east of D.C., 7News First Alert Meteorologist Mark Peña said the storm “has left quite an impact on our area.”
Monday’s temperatures are forecast to reach the mid to upper 20s, but windy conditions could make the air feel colder. Especially Monday night, with wind chills forecast below zero.
Dangerously cold weather expected tonight into Tuesday morning. pic.twitter.com/ZenntvdTKL
— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) January 26, 2026
The National Weather Service said conditions would be “dangerously cold” through Tuesday morning. It suggests dressing in layers and keeping “pets indoors as much as possible.”
While Peña said snow and ice are going to stick around for the next seven to 10 days, no major additional snowfall is expected across the region until this weekend.
But he advises the D.C. area could see a few flurries Wednesday night. It’s those conditions that will reinforce “shots of cold, Arctic air,” Peña said, as high temperatures are expected to reach the mid 20s.
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WTOP’s Luke Lukert said it took him about 30 minutes to clear his vehicle of ice and snow early Monday: “There was about three inches of solid ice that I just had to break up from that windshield, and that’s with the heat running … and just getting out.”
He said it took 10 minutes “going back and forth, getting out, digging out some part of the snow,” to get his all-wheel-drive vehicle out of its parking spot.
Lukert said “if you did not shovel your driveway at all yesterday, it’s going to be really, really hard for you to get out.”
He said the side streets he drove through Northwest D.C. were slightly more treacherous than “a normal snow day,” but not terrible.
“Once you get to a major commuter route like Wisconsin Ave. … you see wet pavement.” He said “the hardest part is just going to be getting out of your driveway, getting out of your parking spot.”
Storm’s impacts across DC region
Local leaders from Virginia and Maryland told WTOP those who live on side streets may not see plows come through for a while.
In Maryland, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said once crews do get to side streets, there will be additional challenges.
“We’re focused on the main arteries right now,” Elrich said. “They’re going to have a coating of ice on many of the streets by the time we get there. That’s going to make it more difficult, for sure.”
While there aren’t any reports of power outages in the D.C. region tied to the storm, officials with Pepco and Dominion Energy are warning that’s a possibility. Read about how to prepare and how utility companies are planning to respond to potential outages here.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Virginia is seeing an increase in emergency room visits due to hypothermia and cold exposure, as well as carbon monoxide exposure.
The latter is “concerning,” as more people attempt to use their generators at home to stay warm. And those concerns aren’t going anywhere, with bitter cold temperatures in the forecast for the rest of January.
Those same cold risks apply to pets, and veterinarian Sophie Kindberg-Hanlon told WTOP to be mindful of chemicals, such as antifreeze and ice melt, that could be present when taking your pet on walks in the snow.
“They can really hurt feet, and certainly cause gastrointestinal upset if pets lick them off,” she said.
School systems call it early, cancel classes Monday (and Tuesday)
The majority of D.C.-area school systems announced on Sunday their plans to be closed Monday due to the weather conditions.
Some school closings for Tuesday were also announced, with Maryland’s Montgomery County Public Schools system being among the first to make the call to cancel classes two days in advance.
Meanwhile, maximum telework is in effect Monday for federal government workers, and those who can’t telework will be granted weather and safety leave.
Lastly, Amtrak said Sunday night all trains traveling in the Northeast Corridor may be delayed or temporarily stopped when approaching Washington due to an intermittent communications outage.
See the full list of closings and delays here.
Forecast
MONDAY: A mix of clouds and sunshine. Blustery and cold. Highs in the mid to upper 20s.
TUESDAY: Mostly sunny and cold. Highs in the low to mid 20s.
WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 20s.