BALTIMORE — The state of Maryland is being blanketed by wet and wintry weather on Thursday, which has led to the cancellation or postponement of some school events and created hazardous driving conditions. Beginning in Western Maryland on Wednesday night, a wintry mix that included freezing rain, sleet, and even some snow made its way into Central Maryland during the pre-dawn hours of Thursday.
Before the morning rush hour begins, there is a chance that some of the roads in the region will get slick, particularly the bridges and overpasses. As the freezing rain starts, temperatures in western Maryland, especially, will drop into the 20s, creating conditions that are both slick and hazardous.
The day will begin with temperatures in the 30s and will reach a high of around the middle 40s in the afternoon. In the extreme western part of Maryland, where over an inch of ice is expected to fall by late Thursday, major ice accumulations are expected to occur. It is expected that these places will have power outages as well as damage to trees. In the morning, there is a good chance that areas around Baltimore will see slick spots, in addition to a wet commute.
Weather Alerts
Due to the substantial amount of ice that is anticipated, Allegany, Garrett, Frederick, and Washington counties are under an Ice Storm Warning that will remain in force until 10 p.m. A Winter Weather Advisory is in force for the rest of the region, except the Lower Eastern Shore, for lighter ice accumulations that might cause to slick spots and a light glaze on cars and elevated surfaces. This advisory does not apply to the Lower Eastern Shore.
After the risk of ice in the early morning hours, we can expect the rest of the day in Central Maryland to be wet and dreary because of the constant rain. The transition will take place more quickly on the Eastern Shore. Most of the day will be spent with freezing rain in western Maryland, and locations to the west of the Blue Ridge Mountains will have the longest stretch of sustained icy conditions.
There is a chance that there will be periods of heavy rain throughout the day, with rainfall totals that will exceed two inches in some places by early Friday morning. The storm system is expected to move away from the region late Thursday night into Friday morning, and the sky is expected to clear up in the afternoon.
This Weekend Will Be Sunny
You can look forward to clear skies starting this weekend and continuing through Wednesday, with chilly evenings and afternoons. Throughout most of the week, highs will be in the 40s, while lows will be in the 20s.
An arctic cold front is expected to arrive in the region soon before Christmas Eve, and as a result, Christmas Day will probably have some of the coldest weather of the season. With this front, there is also a possibility of minor snow showers, although it is still too early to judge the extent of any likelihood of wintry precipitation.
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