Snow chances, powerful winds, brutal cold headed to Maryland

Morning black ice will be an issue Wednesday and Thursday morning with the refreeze. Enjoy these two quiet winter days as the weather will take a turn Friday into Saturday with snow showers, strong winds, and brutal cold returning. 

Maryland enjoys quiet and seasonably cold weather

Early morning temperatures Wednesday in the upper 20s and lower 30s has lead to more black ice in spots. Any untreated surface including bridges, overpasses, on and off ramps along with sidewalks and drives could be slick. Temperatures should climb above freezing by 10 a.m. and stay above freezing through late afternoon.

Clouds will give way to partly to mostly sunny weather late morning through mid-afternoon. Skies will cloud over late afternoon into this evening, but the weather will remain dry.

Colder temperatures arrive overnight with lows falling into the teens with a hard refreeze of any snow and ice that melted Wednesday, so black ice is a concern for the Thursday morning commute.

Thursday should be a bright and seasonably cold day with highs in the lower 30s. 

Snow arrives in the Baltimore metro late Friday

Friday will start quiet and cold, but an increase in cloud cover will take place during the morning and early afternoon hours. Highs will climb into the middle 30s Friday afternoon.

The WJZ First Alert Weather Team has upgraded Friday to a First Alert Weather Day for slippery to slick travel Friday afternoon into Friday night with falling temperatures and light snow expected. 

Much of the state will encounter light snow and snow showers Friday afternoon through Friday night. In addition to the light snow and snow showers, temperatures will plunge Friday night from the middle 20s down into the teens. This will lead to slick and slippery travel, despite forecast snowfall of a coating to an inch. Traveling Friday evening and night could be very slick, so please use extreme caution.

Blast of Arctic cold, powerful wind gusts this weekend

The WJZ First Alert Weather Team  has Saturday branded as a First Alert Weather Day for strong wind gusts and dangerously cold wind-chill temperatures. 

Winds on Saturday could gust 35 to 55 mph throughout the day; windiest on the bay and in the mountains. Localized gusts to 60 mph are even possible if enough sunshine comes out midday Saturday into Saturday afternoon. In addition to the strong and potentially damaging wind gusts Saturday, a bitter shot of arctic air will invade the area. Temperatures only reach the lmid-20s during the afternoon... following an even colder morning. Winds chills will average -5° to 5° across the metro Saturday morning. 

Dangerously cold wind-chills will continue through early Sunday morning. While still blustery, winds won't be as strong on Sunday. Temperatures peak in the upper teens and lower 20s on Sunday afternoon. 

A few more snow flurries or snow showers are possible late Saturday into Sunday, but confidence of this scenario playing out is still quite low. Please stay tuned to future forecasts as confidence increases.

A warming trend kicks into gear next week with temperatures approaching 40° by Tuesday.