Rain turns into heavy snow on first workday of new year in US east coast

WASHINGTON (Eagle News) — Students set to return to school campuses on the first Monday of the new year were instead greeted with cancellation notices as heavy snow dropped on many parts of the U.S. east coast extending the winter break of many.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a dynamic low pressure system will fuel significant weather impacts across parts of the Southeast coast and Mid-Atlantic over the next few days.

A car is covered with snow as Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. was plummeted with snow on Monday morning, January 3, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Matthew T. Capistrano)

Rain turned into snow over much of the Washington DC region Monday morning. Many residents of the nation’s capital stared out their windows to take in the view of the year’s first snowfall.

The NWS predicted between 4-8 inches of snow to fall from the Southern Appalachians through Washington DC and into southern New Jersey by Monday evening.

The weather service said localized higher amounts between 8-12 inches are possible with the heaviest snow to fall at a rate of two inches an hour.

The weather condition made for tricky commutes for those who still had to go into work.

Local commutes were not the only ones affected by heavy snow and rainfall. Airline travelers were left waiting for hours at airports throughout the country as inclement weather disrupted scheduled flights.

Nearly 3,500 flights Monday, the first workday of 2022, were already cancelled as of 9:45 am (1445 GMT), including 2,000 US flights or international ones starting or finishing in the United States, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.

These cancellations were in addition to the 2,700 US flights cancelled Sunday and 2,750 grounded on Saturday.

Yards throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia region were blanketed with snow on Monday, January, 3, 2022. (Photo by Eliza Gonzales-Manglicmot, Eagle News Service)

Snow covered vehicles line up a Silver Spring street in Maryland. Many did not leave their homes on Monday, January 3, 2022 due to heavy snow fall in the Washington D.C. area. (Photo by Eliza Gonzales-Manglicmot, Eagle News Service)

A view of a snow covered yard in Fort Washington, Maryland (Photo by Ann Marie Gonzales, EBC Washington DC Bureau, Eagle News Service)

(Photo By Rhoze Papa-Angeles, EBC Washington DC Bureau, Eagle News Service)

The snow did not stop dogs and dog owners from taking advantage of what the winter day had to offer. (Elise Danielle, EBC Washington DC, Eagle News Service.)

A few cars travel down Indian Head Highway in Fort Washington, Maryland. Heavy snow made travel difficult in the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area on Monday, January 3, 2022. (Photo by Arlene Ocampo, EBC Washington DC Bureau, Eagle News Service)

(Eagle News Service)