When will it snow in Maryland? A timeline of the weekend snowstorm.
The most significant winter storm in years will sweep through Maryland this weekend. The heaviest snowfall is expected on Sunday.
The Baltimore region could get more than six inches of snow during the storm, though that number could change as updated data becomes available.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday are First Alert Weather Days due to the forecasted cold and winter weather.
A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect Saturday through Monday morning for several areas, including Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Howard and Harford counties and Baltimore City.
Some Maryland schools and universities have already announced closures for Monday, Jan. 26, in anticipation of the snowstorm.
Temperatures drop Friday evening
Bitterly cold weather is going to blow into Maryland well ahead of any snow.
Cold air will blow as the sun begins to set on Friday evening.
The temperature in Baltimore will drop below freezing before 7 p.m. and will be in the teens by 11 p.m. It will be even colder earlier in Baltimore County and in areas north of I-70 and I-95.
Wind chills will drop below zero in many areas by midnight and in the city before 3 a.m. on Saturday.
Snow starts in Maryland Saturday
Most of Saturday will be dry, but also brutally cold with temperatures in the teens and lower 20s.
Snow will cross the Potomac River and move into Maryland Saturday evening.
Snow is expected to move into Howard and Anne Arundel Counties by 9 p.m. Baltimore, and Carroll Counties will see snowfall before 11 p.m., and snowy weather will begin in northeastern Maryland and the Eastern Shore by 2 a.m.
Adjustments to this timeline are still possible.
Heavy snow in Maryland Sunday
Snow will be heaviest between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Sunday in many parts of Maryland.
Snow may fall at rates up to 2 inches an hour while temperatures are in the teens. At times, visibility will drop to less than one-quarter mile.
Snow will stick instantly and accumulate quickly.
As we go through mid and late morning, some areas will change over to sleet and possibly freezing rain.
Sleet is most likely to occur along the I-95 corridor, across the Chesapeake Bay, and on the eastern shore. This will occur after several hours of heavy pure snow.
Freezing rain is possible along the lower eastern shore and beaches on Sunday.
Cold weather continues next week
As snow moves out, even colder air will settle into the Mid-Atlantic region.
Temperatures may remain below freezing through much of next week. At times, morning temperatures may drop below zero, especially north and west of the immediate Baltimore metro.
Afternoons will remain in the teens and 20s, before gradually warming back into the upper 20s and 30s as we near the end of the week.
Snow and ice will be sticking around for an abnormally long period of time due to the extreme cold.