No snow, just rain hit D.C. region, but some schools are closed and others delayed

Forecasters had predicted snow, but the precipitation stayed as rain

Commuters and pedestrians face rainfall but mild temperatures before a strong cold front pushes south during the Thursday morning rush hour in D.C. (Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post) (For The Washington Post)

The snow forecast predicted Thursday for the Washington region turned into a snow bust even though several area schools canceled — or delayed — classes as just rain fell.

By midmorning, forecasters for the Capital Weather Gang said that “despite earlier forecasts for snow, mostly rain has fallen this morning.” A winter weather advisory that had been in place ended — except for some areas in the northern suburbs outside D.C. Little to no snow accumulated in the area, forecasters said.

Still, some schools in the area closed for the day, and others, including D.C.’s public schools, delayed their openings. The federal government opened two hours late.

725a: Starting to see some reports of rain changing to snow along I-81 and in W Loudoun as well as northern Maryland...but going to take a couple more hours probably for immediate DC area, which is why we've lowered snow expectations locally.
Update: https://t.co/QzFeGlwLwV https://t.co/VZRGOd0mTl

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) January 20, 2022

Forecasters with the Capital Weather Gang had said the early-morning rain was expected to switch to snow by midmorning.

The outlook changed just after 8 a.m. as forecasters scaled back their snow predictions and the rain lasted longer than they had expected.

The CWG said that the snowfall could be a bust rather than a burst and that it was possible that “mostly just rain falls.”

The storm had been expected to affect travel along the Interstate 95 corridor between Richmond and Boston, and drivers were advised to use caution and stay off the roads if possible.

No major crashes were reported early Thursday on the main thoroughfares in the D.C. area, and crews were ready to treat roads, according to several departments of transportation.

Officials warned that roads could be dangerous with rain.

❄️🌧️ If travel is essential early tomorrow morning, remember to check road & weather conditions BEFORE you leave the house.
☎️ dial 511
🖥 visit https://t.co/Gf39YldzI4
📱 check @511statewideva
📲 download the 511 app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store pic.twitter.com/Edm10voKYi

— VDOT (@VaDOT) January 20, 2022

Metrorail trains were running normally, but Metrobus said its services could change, depending on the weather.