Montgomery County is steeling itself for a bout of winter weather, with a mix of snow and freezing rain on the horizon today. The county has issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., expecting conditions that could lead to treacherous roads and bridges. According to the advisory, the snow is likely to begin in the late morning, evolving into sleet and freezing rain as the day progresses. By evening, it's anticipated to turn back to rain. The forecast suggests we could see up to an inch of snow and sleet, with ice accumulation of up to one-tenth of an inch, as per the Montgomery County website.

As the storm nears, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is preparing to roll out their Storm Operations Center at 10 a.m. to keep a watchful eye on the roads and act accordingly. In preparation for the impending freeze, they will monitor and treat the roads as needed. The MCDOT has highlighted, the potential for power outages and downed wires, cautioning residents to be ready for such occurrences. Utilities providers for the region, including Pepco, Baltimore Gas & Electric, and First Energy, have made available several channels to report outages, including mobile apps and dedicated phone lines.

Residents can access the County’s Snow Information Portal for a wealth of weather-related information, including details about who is tasked with clearing specific roadways, plow movements in their neighborhoods, and how to report streets that may have been overlooked by cleanup crews. For the most current updates, locals are encouraged to sign up for Alert Montgomery, the county's emergency alert system, which provides information through email and text messages directly to your cell phone.

MCDOT is also active online, providing snow-related updates on several social media platforms. The public can track these updates via the Snow Information Portal or by following @MCDOTNow on social media platforms like X, Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram. Engagement doesn't end there; those interested can also subscribe to the MCDOT's "Go Montgomery!" newsletter for ongoing information transmitted directly to their inbox.