A significant winter storm is increasingly likely to impact the Washington, D.C. area and much of the mid-Atlantic this weekend, forecasters say, with snow expected to develop late Saturday and persist into Sunday and perhaps Monday morning.

The National Weather Service has noted rising confidence that a robust winter system tracking up the East Coast will bring accumulating snow to the Interstate 95 corridor, including the nation’s capital, as Arctic air entrenches itself over the region.

Current projections suggest snow could begin late Saturday or early Sunday, with temperatures remaining cold enough for snow to accumulate and linger on roads, trees and infrastructure.

Model guidance continues to show a wide range of possible outcomes for snowfall totals — from minimal accumulation to more than a foot in some scenarios — underscoring the inherent uncertainty in winter forecasts several days out.

However, forecasters have emphasised that "significant snowfall accumulations are likely" if the storm tracks close enough to the region, and residents are advised to prepare for potential travel delays, school closures and icy conditions.

In addition to snow, the event arrives amid a cold air outbreak that will keep temperatures well below seasonal norms throughout the weekend and into early next week, raising risks of wind chills, frozen pipes and other cold-related impacts.

While there remains a chance the storm’s track keeps the heaviest snow just to the south or east of the D.C. metro area, the overall pattern points toward impactful winter weather for a broad stretch of the eastern United States, from the mid-Atlantic into New England.

With details still evolving, the National Weather Service and local forecast offices urge residents to monitor updates as confidence grows and timing and intensity become clearer later this week.