02/25/2007

Associated Press

What began as a wintry mix of precipitation yielded to hearty snow from northern Virginia to Delaware Saturday and Sunday.

Air temperatures two degrees colder than expected at about 3,000 feet allowed several inches of snow to fall across much of the region, said Andy Woodcock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sterling, Va.

Forecasters expected snowflakes to melt at that altitude, then refreeze into sleet when they got closer to the ground. Instead, it was just cold enough — about 31 degrees — that the wet, heavy flakes never melted, and they piled up quickly.

"The way I see it, we lucked out in getting snow as opposed to freezing rain," Woodcock said. "I would much rather have 4 inches of snow than an inch of snow and half an inch of freezing rain."

Snowfall totals late Sunday afternoon were measured at 3.5 inches in Baltimore, up to 5 inches in Howard and Montgomery counties and 6 inches in Frederick County. Parts of Fairfax County, Va., also got six inches.

Most of Virginia got some reprieve Sunday, with patches of freezing rain — but no snow — on and off through the evening. Winter weather advisories remained in effect as far west as Harrisonburg and down past the Charlottesville region.

Central Virginia escaped with just rain.