Baltimore County Could See 8 Inches Of Snow: Weather Service

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Parts of Baltimore County could see heavy snow on Wednesday, based on the forecast from the National Weather Service. Ice is also possible in some corners of the county.

Northern Baltimore County is under a winter storm warning from 7 a.m. Wednesday to 4 a.m. Thursday calling for 4 to 8 inches of snowfall.

Carroll, Frederick and northwest Harford counties are also under that warning, which says heavy snow is expected, with the highest accumulations near the Mason-Dixon Line. A glaze of ice is also possible.

From 10 a.m. to noon, snow is expected to spread across the region, before mixing with sleet and freezing rain Wednesday night.

Travel will be "very difficult," with snow causing significant delays and closures, according to the winter storm warning. People should make a travel plan ahead of the winter weather.

Southern Baltimore County is under a winter weather advisory for about 1 to 2 inches of snow and 0.1 inch ice.

Weather officials expect snow from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday that will change to sleet and freezing rain mid-afternoon.

Drivers should slow down, expecting slippery roads and potentially hazardous conditions during the morning or evening commute.

The winter weather advisory is effective from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 1 a.m. Thursday for southeast Harford, Cecil, parts of Montgomery and Howard counties as well as southern Baltimore County.

Here are the snowfall projections from the National Weather Service:

Officials advise pedestrians to watch their first few steps on sidewalks, driveways and stairs, which could be slippery.

Those who must travel should keep an extra flashlight, water and food in their vehicles in case of an emergency.

See information about Baltimore County road closures and state road closures from the Baltimore County Stormfighter page.

Check the forecast from the National Weather Service.

Plowing In Baltimore County

"We are ready at the first flake to get our roads salted and plowed as quickly as possible," Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said in a statement Tuesday.

He said 571 public works personnel, 481 trucks and 91,600 tons of salt in 17 salt barns were at Baltimore County's disposal, with $7.7 million budgeted for the 2020-2021 winter storm season.

In less than 6 inches of snow, Baltimore County crews typically clear roads within 24 hours.

When about 2 to 4 inches of snow fall, crews may need four to six hours to spread salt on county roads, which keeps snow from bonding to the pavement.

If snowfall exceeds 6 inches, plows require about 48 hours after the event to clear roads.

Plows begin on major county arteries like Joppa Road, Dundalk Avenue, Rolling Road and Owings Mills Boulevard, then move on to feeder roads such as Goucher Boulevard and Lyons Mill Road, before plowing neighborhood streets, cul-de-sacs and courts.

Olszewski encouraged Baltimore residents to follow the Baltimore County Stormfighter page and snow plow tracker map for information.

In very heavy snowfall, crews may be diverted from neighborhoods to focus on keeping main roads clear.

Residents can report the following issues 24 hours after precipitation stops, Olszewski said:

• BaltCoGo mobile app
• Baltimorecountymd.gov/stormfighter's “Report Now” feature
• Bureau of Highways: 410-887-3560

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