Strengthening Nor'easter To Impact VA: What To Know

Snow may not be a concern this weekend, but a rapidly strengthening coastal storm is expected to batter Northern Virginia with punishing winds and bring bitterly cold temperatures to the D.C. region, according to the latest forecasts.

The storm, which forecasters say will meet the definition of a bomb cyclone, will likely deposit several inches of snow in the Carolinas and parts of southern Virginia but is expected to miss the D.C. area as it passes offshore.

It's possible the region could see a dusting of snow on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, but forecasters said the worst snowfall will likely be seen in southeastern Virginia.

The storm's biggest impacts on the D.C. area will be strong winds late Saturday through Sunday, and dangerously cold temperatures, which are expected to linger through early next week.

The National Weather Service issued a cold weather advisory for most of Northern Virginia, which goes into effect at 10 p.m. Saturday and remains in place until 1 p.m. Sunday.

Forecasters said wind chills are expected to dip below zero Saturday night and hover in the single digits much of Sunday.

The unforgiving temperatures also mean the rock-hard layer of snow and ice — dubbed “snowcrete” by some — will not appreciably melt through early next week," the Capital Weather Gang wrote in their latest forecast. "With temperatures expected to remain below normal beyond that, there are no clear signs of a rapid thaw."

Meanwhile, wind speeds will increase Saturday into Saturday night, peaking in strength Sunday morning with gusts around 35 mph. The wind, when combined with temperatures in the single digits, will result in dangerously cold wind chills of 10 to 20 degrees below zero.

According to the National Weather Service, if temperatures don't rise above freezing until Tuesday, both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. will record the longest stretch of below-freezing temperatures since 1989. It would also become the third-longest stretch of below-freezing temperatures in D.C. since records began in 1872.

Here's a look at the detailed National Weather Service forecast for the area:

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 21. North wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday Night: Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as -8. Blustery, with a north wind 11 to 16 mph increasing to 19 to 24 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 39 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. Wind chill values as low as -9. Windy, with a northwest wind 21 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 15. Wind chill values as low as zero. Blustery, with a northwest wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 33. Northwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 17.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38.

Tuesday Night: A chance of snow after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday: A chance of snow before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 33. Chance of precipitation is 30%.