Winter weather to bring heavy snow, frigid temperatures to Maryland this weekend

A winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow, ice and dangerously cold temperatures to Maryland this weekend.

Saturday and Sunday are First Alert Weather Days, due to the cold and an increasing risk for impactful snow and potential ice in the Baltimore area.   

The state will get a much-needed warm-up Wednesday through Friday before temperatures plummet.

Bitter cold temperatures Friday

After a brief break in the intense cold across Maryland through Friday, another round of bitterly cold temperatures will be returning to the state. The biting cold and frigid temperatures will arrive from north to south Friday night as an arctic cold front crosses the area.

By Friday night, overnight lows will dip down into the lower to middle teens with wind-chills in the single digits.

Saturday will be overcast and extremely cold with possible record cold high temperatures in Baltimore. High temperatures will struggle to reach 20°, which is the record low maximum temperature for the date. Despite all of the clouds, most of Saturday should be dry for traveling.  

Weekend snowstorm in Maryland 

An area of low pressure intensifying across the Tennessee Valley on Saturday will continue to move northeast toward the Mid-Atlantic states. This will spread a shield of snow into the area by Saturday evening. 

Since temperatures will be so cold Saturday night when the snow begins, the snow will instantly start sticking to most surfaces, including roads, highways, and sidewalks. Travel conditions will quickly become treacherous. 

The brunt of this major winter storm will be felt in Baltimore and across Maryland on Sunday. 

A secondary area of low pressure may develop off the Delmarva coastline late Sunday or Sunday night. Between the two areas of low pressure, expect widespread snow and/or ice during the day on Sunday. 

Sunday morning may have the most intense snowfall with 1 to 2 inches per hour rates possible. 

In addition to heavy snow, there are some indications that snow may change to sleet and/or freezing rain, especially from Baltimore and points south and east. This would lead to slightly lower snowfall totals, but travel conditions would still be treacherous to dangerous.

There will be a great deal of uncertainty with the exact track and strength of the storm at this hour, but clarity should increase as forecast models better sample the pieces of energy that come together to help form this storm. This will provide greater confidence and clarity to provide potential snow and ice amounts across the area. Forecast clarity should start to increase Wednesday night and into Thursday.

How much snow could Maryland get?

There is a high likelihood of 6 or more inches of snow across all of Maryland. There is the potential of double-digit snowfall totals in areas that receive all snow and no mixing. The greatest chance as of now for that happening is north and west of the Baltimore Beltway. This is subject to change with new data.

The storm will taper off Sunday evening and night as the area of low pressure responsible for the winter storm slowly eases northeast away from our area. 

Bitter cold continues next week

After the coastal storm exits the area, a large and long-lasting batch of cold air will sweep into the area. This means snow and ice on the ground will have a tough time melting next week.

This means that side and secondary roads, along with some neighborhood sidewalks, may remain treacherous if left untreated through the end of next week. Widespread school closures are likely on Monday and potentially through the middle of next week if the storm reaches its full potential. 

Temperatures will likely stay below freezing for the next 10-days, so once the snow and ice are on the ground, it will likely not go anywhere for the foreseeable future. 

The WJZ First Alert Weather Team will be updating the weekend forecast through the rest of this week. Keep a closer-than-normal eye on the forecast. Disruptive, possibly dangerous weather is expected this weekend. The forecast impacts will become clearer late Wednesday, into Thursday.