A lot of areas experiencing very light drizzle that is coating cars and parking lots. Be careful. Roads are OK but elevated sloped surfaces are slick! This drizzly icy condition will last until later this morning, Temps will climb to at or above freezing except in valleys and further north along the PA/MD border and western MD.
Tonight is a bit tricky. Far Northwest VA, Western and Northern MD will have a chance to accumulate up to a quarter or an inch of ice. It will depend on geography and just how strong the push of warmer air is. Many of these areas are under a Winter Storm watch because of this. Up into NJ and PA a more prolonged ice and snow event has got them at Warning levels already, Please stay alert up that way.
Areas in VA and much of NC should hit the mid and upper 60s tomorrow where the southern Winds come and erode the cold out. A chance of thunderstorms, even some strong down in Southeastern VA and NC. Northern VA could also see some thunderstorms tomorrow as temps will climb to 50 or above in spots seeing ice this morning!
Temperatures will cool but not go as cold as they have as we head towards the weekend. Ironically, the arctic chill that looked to visit us by the weekend has really changed trajectory and temps will not be as cold as originally thought. That will lead to an interesting and challenging forecast for Saturday as NW VA and Western MD as well as northward could see snow from a coastal system. Temperatures will be marginal so it will be hard to pinpoint snow vs. rain.
Longer term the pattern has and is shifting. The very cold conditions will be more centered to the Mid-west where snow will be quite the threat again in a week. We will be on the warm side of these systems. Long term, this milder pattern looks to hold.
All for now!