Baltimore residents and commuters are being urged to take special precautions as the National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning effective 10 AM this morning for several parts of western Maryland, including Pendleton, Grant, and Garrett counties. The warning, which extends until 10 AM on Thursday, is calling for significant snowfall accompanied by strong, gusty winds, leading to near-zero visibility at times.
Travel conditions are expected to be perilous with blustery winds that could meet or exceed 40 to 50 knots over the mountains, per the National Weather Service update. In preparation for potentially hazardous conditions, Winter Weather Advisories are also in place across western Highland and eastern Garrett counties starting at 4 PM today. Areas within these advisories may see storm totals of around 2 to 3 inches, and potentially up to 5 inches at higher elevations.
Meanwhile, for areas outside of the Blizzard Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories, light rain showers are anticipated, with accumulation expected to be under 0.05 inches. Temperatures across the greater Baltimore area are slated to return to near average, climbing into the 40s to low 50s, accompanied by mostly cloudy skies and brisk southerly wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph.
Looking ahead, the winter storm is projected to continue along the Allegheny Front with blizzard conditions probable into Thursday night. The cold front associated with this system will bring in a shift to west-northwesterly winds with gusts around 15 to 25 mph, and potentially up to 30 to 40 mph at higher elevations. This will be accompanied by a clearing of skies east of the Alleghenies as cold, dry advection occurs. Overnight lows are forecast to fall into the mid-20s to low-30s, with teens over the Alleghenies where the blizzard continues, the National Weather Service report elaborates.
Mariners should also be alert to Small Craft Advisories in effect until early Thursday evening across all waters, with south-southwest winds gusting in the 20 to 30 knot range. A cold front moving through later this evening could see these winds shifting to west-northwesterly overnight. The weather forecast additionally warns of the potential for gale-force winds on Sunday afternoon and night. Residents are advised to stay informed on local weather updates and prepare for these conditions.
