3:00 PM | Rain for awhile, but then a changeover to sleet and snow N and W of the District early tonight with small accumulations possible

Low-level temperatures have climbed into the 40’s across the region, but upper level temperatures have already begun to cool off considerably. As a result, despite the above freezing boundary layer temperatures, the onset of the rain late this afternoon could feature a quick turnover to a mix of rain, sleet and snow before becoming all snow early tonight to the N and W of the District. For example, at the onset of the precipitation in Harrisonburg, VA about an hour ago the surface temperatures was 42 degrees yet snow was falling as a result of the cold air aloft. The timetable for the snow around here will be from early tonight (7pm or so) to around midnight with small accumulations to the N and W of the District generally in the coating to an inch or two range. Surface temperatures will drop quickly once the precipitation begins and then bottom out in the lower 30's by late tonight.