The first signs of snow began on Wednesday, January 20. One inch of snow fell during rush hour, and caused major traffic delays. Everybody had been so focused on the blizzard that was starting on Friday, so the roads were not prepared for snow on Wednesday night. The inch that fell on the roads quickly turned into ice, which made the roads dangerous to drive on. Fairfax County had originally made the decision to simply delay school openings on Thursday. However, Thursday morning they changed the delay to a cancelation because the roads were still considered unsafe to drive on.

Fairfax County got a head start, and canceled all school activities from Friday until Sunday, and many other counties in Virginia, Washington D.C, and Maryland made the same decision. Fairfax County made the announcement during the early afternoon on Thursday. It began snowing in Northern Virginia around 1:00 on Friday, and did not stop snowing until late Saturday night. On Saturday, blizzard conditions were reached throughout the area. Some cities in Fairfax County reached over 30 inches of snow.

The snowstorm became commonly known as Snowzilla, and set many records. In Washington D.C., this snowstorm tied for fourth highest snowfall amounts. In Dulles, it was the second highest snow fall amount with 28.3 inches. In Baltimore it was the highest snowfall amount ever recorded with 29.2 inches. New York City also set records with 26.8 inches of snow. Snow totals reached over a foot in 14 states. Parts of West Virginia received 42 inches of snow.

Fairfax Country has already called off school for Monday, January 25, and Tuesday, January 26. The clean up from the snowstorm is expected to take a few days. It will be slightly warmer on Monday and Tuesday, and some of the snow is expected to melt. The Homeland Security Agency says that its too early too know how long Washington D.C. will be shut down for because of the storm.