The Baltimore region is in for a bit of weather whiplash, with icy precipitation forecast Saturday morning, unseasonable warmth on Sunday, and a return to cold weather next week.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for Carroll County on Saturday from 4 a.m. through 5 p.m., and a mix of rain, freezing rain and sleet is expected across the Baltimore area in the morning hours.
Up to two-tenths of an inch of ice is forecast to accumulate in Carroll and points west, according to the National Weather Service. Lesser amounts could make for slippery travel along the Interstate 95 corridor.
But for most of the region, any ice is expected to be melted away with rain and temperatures in the upper 30s forecast through the afternoon and into Sunday morning.
"The brunt of the ice accumulation and impacts are going to be well to the west and the north of the cities," said Ken Widelski, emergency response meteorologist at the weather service's Baltimore/Washington forecast office.
Milder air is moving in Sunday, with highs expected in the upper 50s across the region, and possibly the lower 60s in Baltimore. That is about 15 degrees above normal for this time of year.
The moisture is coming with a warm front that is expected to push mild air over the colder air close to the surface. That's why precipitation is forecast to start as freezing rain or sleet, as it is expected to fall as rain but then freeze when it meets colder air closer to the ground.
But eventually, the warmer air will take over, bringing just rain.
By Sunday night, however, a cold front is expected to pass through, dropping temperatures back to the 20s and 30s.
"This is a very brief period of wintry precipitation rain, and then another brief period of warm temperatures, and then it's cold again," Widelski said.