An ice storm is heading toward MD, prompting a winter weather advisory. Roads, bridges and overpasses will likely be slick and hazardous.
Patch Staff
|Updated Wed, Feb 5, 2025 at 5:24 pm ET
MARYLAND — An ice storm could leave a slick coating in Maryland from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. This system is among several winter weather events possible over the next week, some of which could bring light snow.
A winter weather advisory is in place for most of the Baltimore-Washington metro area. The advisory lasts from 9 p.m. Wednesday through 10 a.m. Thursday.
Mixed precipitation should arrive between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. for most of the area.
"A mix of light freezing rain, sleet, and snow begins this evening," the National Weather Service said in its advisory. "Precipitation mainly becomes a steady freezing rain tonight. Temperatures will warm Thursday morning transitioning freezing rain over to rain."
Regions west of Interstate 95 could see a tenth to a quarter of an inch of ice. Towns east of I-95 are slated for a trace to a tenth of an inch.
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A "swath of light snow" is possible Wednesday morning "mainly north of the D.C. metro area," the NWS forecast discussion said.
"Plan on slippery road conditions," the NWS advisory said. "The hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday morning commute."
Friday night brings another winter storm chance.
"Like the preceding one, this also has implications of a mixed wintry precipitation event. Before the warm nose arrives, a period of light snow is possible," the NWS said in the forecast discussion. "Low temperatures will stay mainly in the mid/upper 20s."
The NWS expects "a wintry mix of precipitation across the area Saturday into Saturday night."
"Precipitation looks to be relatively light, but even light amounts of ice or snow could lead to travel disruptions," the NWS forecast discussion said. "Most guidance favors much of the precipitation falling as sleet and freezing rain, with a changeover to plain rain Saturday night before precipitation ends. A little snow could also potentially mix in toward onset."
There are additional snow chances on Monday and Tuesday, but it's too early to know the specifics.
"At least one and maybe two wintry precipitation events appear possible during that time, withsubstantial accumulations at least a possibility," the forecast discussion said. "We'll continue to monitor this potential over the upcoming days, and refine the forecast as uncertainty slowly decreases."
Here is the NWS's seven-day forecast at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport:
Wednesday: A slight chance of snow after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 37. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday Night: Rain, snow and sleet, possibly mixed with freezing rain before 3am, then freezing rain and sleet between 3am and 4am, then rain and freezing rain, possibly mixed with sleet after 4am. The sleet could be heavy at times. Low around 30. East wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Thursday: Rain and freezing rain, possibly mixed with sleet, becoming all rain after 7am, then gradually ending. High near 47. East wind 5 to 8 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Thursday Night: A chance of rain between 7pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Southwest wind around 7 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 51. Northwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Friday Night: A slight chance of snow after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday: Snow and sleet, mainly after 1pm. High near 37. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Saturday Night: Rain likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27.
Monday: A chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tuesday: Snow. High near 37. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
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