Baltimore City residents are likely to wake up to little more than slush on Saturday morning, as any snow that falls through the night will be doused with rain. But areas to the north and west are likely to see some snow accumulation.
Come Sunday, though, the entire region is likely to see several inches of snow or more from a second storm beginning in the evening and continuing through the day Monday.
A wintry mix began falling Friday evening, and with temperatures above freezing and relatively warm roadways, the storm largely spared rush hour motorists.
But the National Weather Service said a few degrees will make a big difference in the accumulations expected around the region through the night and into Saturday afternoon. North of the city, in Baltimore, Hartford and Carroll counties, two to four inches of snow was possible.
"In the city, it'll be slushy if anything," said Bryan Jackson, a meteorologist with the agency. "There could be some ice in places on the roadways where the rain washes away the salt and on bridges."
Temperatures were expected to stay in the low 30s Saturday with precipitation continuing. There could even be some sun poking through the clouds before sunset.
But then the second wave of weather is expected from the west, and with colder temperatures snow is forecast to begin falling Sunday evening. It could extend throughout the day Monday, depending on how fast the front moves through, Jackson said.
About three to five inches of snow is forecast in Baltimore beginning Sunday evening, though Jackson said that "there is some uncertainty with where it's tracking."
State Highway Administration officials urged drivers to be prepared for both storms, and said crews would be on standby overnight to treat roads if needed.
David Buck, an agency spokesman, said the first storm was wide, bringing different types of slushy rain and snow to different areas of the state. He expected some roads and overpasses, particularly to the north and west, to need salting.
The back-to-back storms and lack of certainty about accumulations are posing challenges for officials, he said. But crews will remain on the job throughout the weekend.
"We've got a lot of something coming," Buck said. "The questions is how much rain, how much sleet and how much snow and where? We don't want motorists to be complacent and assume because it's OK at their house it's OK everywhere."