Portions of north central, northeast and northern Maryland were under a snow emergency on Friday, with 4-6 inches of snow possible.
Michael O'Connell, Patch Staff
|Updated Fri, Jan 19, 2024 at 9:33 am ET
MARYLAND — A winter storm warning is in effect until 10 p.m. on Friday for portions of Frederick, Carroll, Cecil, Harford and Baltimore counties in Maryland, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches are expected in north central, northeast and northern Maryland during the day on Friday. Slippery roads and hazardous conditions could affect the morning and evening commutes across Maryland.
Once the snow winds down, bitter cold will grip the state, with overnight lows in the teens Friday through Sunday nights.
A winter storm warning is in effect through 7 p.m. Friday evening for Montgomery, Howard and Cecil counties, according to the NWS.
Many school systems in the Baltimore region announced closures for Friday due to the snow, including schools in Baltimore, Harford, Montgomery, Howard, and Prince George's counties, plus the city of Baltimore.
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The Office of Personnel Management said that all federal employees will have a two-hour delayed arrival on Friday, with an option for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. Federal offices in the D.C. region will open two hours later than normally scheduled.
Friday's high temperature for the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region will be 32 degrees, with the thermometer dropping to the low 20s in the evening, according to NWS. An additional accumulation of less than 1 inch is possible.
"Both rush hours today may have slippery roads, especially the morning one, as snow should be ongoing for much or all of it," The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang reported Friday morning.
Lighter and more intermittent snow will continue into Friday afternoon, adding another inch or two of snow, according to the Capital Weather Gang.
A gale warning is also in effect during the evening for the lower Potomac River and the middle Chesapeake Bay. A gale watch will continue Saturday and into Saturday evening of the lower Potomac and middle Chesapeake Bay.
Saturday will be mostly sunny, with a high temperature around 29 degrees. NWS predicts a northwest wind of 11 to 18 mph, with wind gusts as high as 32 mph. Dangerously cold wind chills are possible on Saturday night.
A surge of arctic air was moving east through the Midwest early Friday morning, bringing sub-zero temperatures as it progressed, according to NWS. At the same time, a low pressure system was rapidly forming off of the southeast coast.
The Arctic air coming in behind the storm over the weekend will likely deliver the lowest temperatures of the winter so far in the mid-Atlantic region, AccuWeather said.
Due to its speed, the low pressure system will likely miss the Alberta Clipper and head out to sea. However, widespread accumulating snows associated with the arctic air are expected to move into the Mid-Atlantic region throughout the day and into Friday evening, according to NWS' forecast. Snowfall totals are expected to be in the light to moderate range, generally 2 to 4 inches, with totals over 6 inches in portions of the northern Mid-Atlantic states.
Here is a look at the forecast for central Maryland through early next week from the National Weather Service:
Friday: Snow. High near 33. Northeast wind around 7 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
Tonight: Snow, mainly before 8pm. Low around 20. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 29. Northwest wind 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. Northwest wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 35. Northwest wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 21.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47.
Tuesday Night: A chance of rain after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 51. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday Night: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
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