The winter storm headed for the Northeast early Thursday could bring 3 to 7 more inches of snow to Baltimore, capping a winter in which a few more inches hardly seems to matter anymore.
But this one will be different - one of the most complicated and unusual winter storms we've seen in quite a while. Maryland remains mostly on the southern and western fringes of the blast, which is expected to pound portions of New York and New England with heavy snow, tropical-storm-force winds and flooding. Philadelphians were told Wednesday to expect 8 to 12 inches. New York City could receive 7 to 13 inches, while Binghamton, in south-central New York State, could see as much as 12 to 18 inches.
Forecasters expect the tempest will drift up the coast Thursday, intensify, head inland into southern New York State, then turn west onto some kind of bizarre meteorological cloverleaf, moving west, then south into Pennsylvania, then east again before it finally heads out to sea off the New England coast this weekend.
Along the way it looks like the storm will offer Baltimore rain; a rain/snow mix; then snow; then a lull in the action for a time Thursday afternoon; then more snow into Friday with a big helping of high winds.
For BWI-Marshall, the National Weather Service is calling for the storm to begin late Wednesday evening as rain and snow, turning to all snow after midnight as temperatures drop to freezing. Overnight accumulations could reach 1 to 3 inches of wet snow.
Winter Storm Watches, which mean 5 inches or more are possible by Friday morning, remained posted for Carroll, Baltimore, Harford countries, and Baltimore City. Farther south and west they were replaced Wednesday with Winter Weather Advisories, calling for 3 inches or less during the first phase of the storm.
After daybreak Thursday, the snow is forecast to continue until around 1 p.m., then quit for a time. That's the lull.