Snow May Snarl Commuters Day and Night

A fast-moving low-pressure weather system is expected to sweep into Washington today, possibly bringing snow around the time of the morning commute and continuing long enough to plague homebound motorists as well.

Late last night, the National Weather Service predicted that much of the area could get from two to four inches. The forecast left little room for doubt that snow would fall, placing the likelihood at "near 100 percent."

"It's going to be snow,'' said Kerry Schwindenhammer, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather. "We're thinking arrival time right around dawn -- in other words, right around the morning rush."

The National Weather Service put a snow advisory in place from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. Temperatures were expected to be around 30, with lows in the 20s, said Calvin Meadows, a meteorological technician with the Weather Service.

Meadows said the metro area will receive the bulk of the snow. The area to the south -- central Virginia, the central Shenandoah Valley and Southern Maryland -- will receive a mix of rain and snow, with an inch or less of accumulation.

About 700 Virginia Department of Transportation plows will be on the state's major roadways by 6 a.m., spokesman Ryan Hall said. But commuters could slow plowing. "If all 700 of our trucks are out there and a million cars are on the roadway with them, the trucks won't be moving much," he said.

Maryland highway officials said as many as 400 workers will be on the job at 5 a.m. in Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

A spokeswoman for the Maryland State Highway Administration said that because of the timing of the storm, commuters should check road conditions at http://www.marylandroads.com.

Last night, most area school officials said they were holding off on decisions regarding closures.

Staff writer Martin Weil contributed to this report.