Winter weather advisory issued; snow emergencies in Southern Maryland

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Baltimore City, southern Baltimore County and Howard and Anne Arundel counties until noon, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service projected about an inch of snow to accumulate from through mid-morning.

"We're expecting the majority of the snow to fall during rush hour in the morning, so it's not so much an advisory due to really high snowfall as much as potentially high-impact snowfall," said Carl Barnes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Baltimore/Washington forecast office.

Still, there was uncertainty whether the system will track close enough to the coast to bring another messy commute to the Interstate 95 corridor, said Andy Woodcock, another weather service meteorologist.

"There will be a very sharp cutoff," Woodcock said. "The question is, where is that going to be?"

The State Highway Administration urged drivers to again be prepared for a treacherous commute. Pavement is expected to be well below freezing overnight, much like it was when a couple of inches of snow snarled traffic across the region Jan. 6.

"Please take these forecasts and warnings seriously and consider delaying or cancelling your travel and appointments while we take care of making the roads safe for travel," SHA Administrator Melinda B. Peters said in a statement.

Temperatures are forecast to remain below freezing throughout Wednesday, with afternoon highs around 30 degrees. A slight north wind is expected to make it feel about 5 degrees colder.

Then, a gradual warm-up is forecast into the weekend, with highs in the mid-30s Thursday, around 40 degrees Friday and Saturday, and possibly reaching 50 degrees Sunday.