Skip to main content

Strong storm developing ahead of Christmas

By Nick Iannelli

WASHINGTON — As millions of people hit the road for the holiday season, a wide-reaching storm is picking up steam.

“It is going to impact folks from the Midwest to the Ohio Valley all the way up the East Coast,” explains ABC7 Meteorologist Brian van de Graaff.

This is not expected to be a “wintry” event, according to weather forecasters.  Rather than snow, severe rain and wind will be the main cause for concern among drivers and airline passengers.

“Strong storms definitely could lead to travel problems,” says van de Graaff.

Across the D.C. metro area, there will be a near-constant threat of rain early this week.

On Wednesday, Christmas Eve, the stormy conditions will be at their peak, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and possibly thunder and lightning.

By Christmas, dry air should move in.

According to AAA, nearly 2.5 million people in the D.C. area will travel at least 50 miles for Christmas and New Year’s.

That would be a record high for the holiday season.

Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

By WTOP Staff
WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
Read Next Story