Up To 10 Inches Of Snow Possible In Baltimore County: NWS

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Get your snow shovels ready, because wintry weather is on the way. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for Baltimore County.

The warning calls for 5 to 10 inches of snow. Heavy snow is expected from Saturday, Jan. 12, to Monday, Jan. 14.

A winter storm warning means that travel will be hazardous or impossible.

The winter storm warning is in effect from 7 p.m. Saturday to midnight Monday for Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties as well as Baltimore City.

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

Maryland State Police put the snow emergency plan into effect at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12. Under a snow emergency, drivers must have snow tires or snow chains on their vehicles, and there is no parking allowed on snow emergency routes. The purpose of declaring a snow emergency is to allow for snow clearing operations.

Snow Closings

Baltimore County Public Schools have canceled all activities Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019.

Towson University is closed on Jan. 13 due to inclement weather. The 2 p.m. women's basketball game vs. Hofstra at SECU Arena will be played as scheduled.

The Jewish Community Center of Baltimore will be closed on Sunday, Jan. 13. The Gordon Center show scheduled for Saturday was canceled, and "Summer in the Snow" has been rescheduled until Feb. 13.

Get news alerts from Baltimore County Patches.

Because of the weather, Monday morning commutes and school openings may be affected, according to the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA); below-freezing temps Sunday night may leave "lingering impacts of the storm in certain areas," MEMA advised.

Baltimore County officials say they are prepared.

“...we are ready at the first flake to get the roads salted and plowed as quickly as possible, and we ask for people’s patience as our crews work the storm," County Executive Johnny Olszewski said in a statement on Friday, Jan. 11. "Protecting public safety is the top priority when winter weather hits."

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

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 and courts.

In very heavy snowfall, crews focus on main roads.

Track plowing progress on the Baltimore County Stormfighter page.

Residents can report storm-related issues like unplowed streets 24 hours after the snow stops in several ways:

• File a report on the BaltCoGo mobile app.
• Use the "Report Now" feature on Baltimore County Stormfighter page.
• Call the Bureau of Highways at 410-887-3560.

See a map of warnings and watches across the state from the National Weather Service.

PREVIOUS REPORT (EXPIRED) — Get your snow boots ready, because it looks like wintry weather is on the way. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Baltimore County from Saturday, Jan. 12, to Sunday, Jan. 13.

The advisory calls for 2 to 5 inches of snow.

Drivers should be prepared for slippery roads, and pedestrians venturing out should be aware of the potential for icy steps, sidewalks and driveways, according to the advisory.

The winter weather advisory is in effect from 7 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday, for Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Harford counties.

Here are the latest Baltimore County snow totals as of 12:42 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 13, according to unofficial data reported to the National Weather Service:

• 2 inches — Dundalk, 12:15 a.m.
• 1.5 inches — Middle River, 11:35 p.m.
• 1 inch — Bentley Springs at 11:15 p.m.
• 1 inch — Long Green, 11 p.m.

Snow will start Saturday afternoon and continue falling through Sunday, and Baltimore County officials say they are prepared.

"...we are ready at the first flake to get the roads salted and plowed as quickly as possible, and we ask for people's patience as our crews work the storm," County Executive Johnny Olszewski said in a statement on Friday, Jan. 11. "Protecting public safety is the top priority when winter weather hits."

In 2 to 4 inches of snow, Baltimore County crews can generally plow streets within 24 hours of the storm ending. 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 and courts. Track plowing progress on the Baltimore County Stormfighter page.

Residents can report storm-related issues like unplowed streets 24 hours after the snow stops in several ways:

• File a report on the BaltCoGo mobile app.
• Use the “Report Now” feature on Baltimore County Stormfighter page.
• Call the Bureau of Highways at 410-887-3560.

Monday morning commutes and school openings may be affected, according to MEMA; below-freezing temps Sunday night may leave "lingering impacts of the storm in certain areas," MEMA advised.

Central Maryland may receive 3 to 6 inches of snow, Western Maryland may get more and the Eastern Shore will receive up to 1 inch of snow mixed with rain and/or sleet, according to MEMA.

The D.C. metro and southern Maryland are poised to receive the most snow in this storm.

Charles, Montgomery and Prince George's counties along with DC are under a winter storm warning from 4 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday, with 4 to 7 inches of snow expected.

In southern Maryland, Calvert and St. Mary's counties are under a winter storm warning calling for 3 to 6 inches of snow from 7 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday.

Here are the snowfall predictions from the National Weather Service for 7 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 13:

• Baltimore Inner Harbor: 3 inches expected; low of 2 inch, high of 6 inches
• D.C., National Mall: 5 inches expected; low of 2 inches, high of 8 inches
• Frederick: 3 inches expected; minimum of 2 inches, high of 7 inches
• Hagerstown: 3 inches expected; low of 2 inches, high of 6 inches
• Leonardtown: 6 inches expected; low of 2 inch, high of 12 inches

These are preliminary; see the latest projections from the National Weather Service.

Forecast

Here is the latest forecast for Baltimore County from the National Weather Service:

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 37 and low of 24. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday: Snow likely after 1 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 33 and low of 27. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation increases from 60% during the day to 90% at night. Daytime accumulation of less than a half inch possible. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible at night.

Sunday: A chance of snow, mainly before 1 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 34 and low of 22. Northeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 35 and low of 25.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 40 and low around 29.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42 and low around 28.

Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 38.

PREVIOUS FORECAST FROM THURSDAY (EXPIRED) — There is a chance for some weekend snow, but don't go racing out for the milk and bread just yet. The latest predictions for this weekend's winter weather estimate the Baltimore metro region will see just an inch or two of snow Saturday into Sunday, if that.

The National Weather Service is calling for about an inch of snow this weekend in the Baltimore metro area.

Points south may see more snow, with the D.C. area expected to get 3 inches and St. Mary's County in southern Maryland projected to receive 4 inches of snow this weekend.

"There is a enhanced threat for a winter storm Saturday into Sunday," the National Weather Service said in a hazardous weather outlook Thursday, Jan. 10. "If the threat materializes, it will result in travel disruptions."

Here are some weekend snowfall projections, as of Thursday, Jan. 10, from the National Weather Service:

• Baltimore Inner Harbor: 1 inch expected; low of 1 inch, high of 5 inches
• D.C., National Mall: 3 inches expected; low of 2 inches, high of 7 inches
• Frederick: 2 inches expected; minimum of 2 inches, high of 6 inches
• Hagerstown: 2 inches expected; low of 2 inches, high of 5 inches
• Leonardtown: 4 inches expected; low of 1 inch, high of 6 inches

These snowfall projections are preliminary; see the latest projections from the National Weather Service.

Graphic courtesy of the National Weather Service.