Here comes the cold: Flooding occurring now, then deep freeze, 50 mph wind gusts by early Friday

Some streets are flooded after the excessive rainfall across our area today, prompting a flood warning from the National Weather Service until 2:30 a.m. Friday, December 23, 2023.

Locations experiencing flooding include Manassas, Manassas Park, Dale City, and portions of western Prince William County.

Other areas experiencing flooding are Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, and Loudoun. Locations in Central Virginia include Albemarle, Greene, and Orange counties.

Between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain have soaked the region today. An additional half inch of rain could still fall.

At 8:35 p.m., police in the region reported several roads closed due to flooding, the weather service states. Drivers should avoid flooded rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations where flooding is imminent or occurring.

Once the rain moves out later tonight, we’re in for a bitter-cold awakening. Between 3 and 5 a.m., a cold front will “will slice through the region Friday morning,” the weather service states, bringing a sharp 20 to 30-degree drop in temperatures in a few hours.

“[The temperature change] will come as quite a shock and could rapidly re-freeze any residual moisture,” the weather service states.

As the cold front sweeps across the region, we can hear some rumbles of thunder. Afterward, winds will turn to the west and increase abruptly, with gusts around 50 mph, likely east Friday morning into early afternoon.

Over the higher terrain, wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph are more likely.

Blustery and very cold conditions will take over through the weekend’s first half. Temperatures will fall into the single digits to below zero at night. Combined with the wind, it will feel below zero across the entire region. Highs will struggle to escape their teens and 20s.

Winds will slacken gradually through Saturday night, with continued dangerous cold continuing. The persistent cold and wind may prove dangerous, especially for anyone who experiences power outages, states the weather service.

You’re urged to plan to protect your pets, plants, pipes, livestock, and other property sensitive to extreme cold conditions.

Light to moderate rain will continue across portions of the area for the next several hours before dissipating. Overnight lows will be in the 30s west of the Blue Ridge and 40s/50s further east, ahead of an arctic front expected to cross the area during the morning hours. pic.twitter.com/u8NAnsHb5D

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) December 23, 2022