Rain, Sleet Forecasted For Monday Night

The weather forecast for Monday night calls for a mix of rain and sleet, with temperatures hovering around freezing. That means roads in the D.C. region could be covered in ice by Tuesday morning.

Keith Compton -- the chief of highway services in Montgomery County, Md. -- says what makes this weather so hazardous for drivers isn't the air temperature but, instead, the ground temperature.

"We perform something that we call pavement forecasting and, to us, that's just as important as weather forecasting. We really need to know how the pavement is going to react to whatever frozen material is deposited upon it. And right now, our pavement temperatures are in the mid-20 degree range," he says.

Compton says his crews will be treating roads in Montgomery County with salt and sand Monday night, in preparation for Tuesday morning's rush hour.