The tail end of a winter storm brought some sprinkles of sleet and snow to Maryland on Wednesday on top of heavy rains, but few travel disruptions were reported outside of New England despite concerns of chaotic pre-Thanksgiving transportation.
State Highway Administration officials cautioned of a risk of icy roads overnight into Thursday morning, however, given standing water in many places because of the rainfall.
"Drivers need to be aware that just because the rain and the snow stop, there's still some potential for some slick spots," SHA spokeswoman Kellie Boulware said.
While wintry precipitation was light across the region, the rainfall was significant.
Traces of snow and sleet were reported Wednesday from Eldersburg to Dundalk and Parkville to College Park, according to the National Weather Service. In Western Maryland, 3 inches of snow was measured Tuesday and Wednesday at Wisp Resort, which opens for the season Friday.
More than 2 inches of rain had been measured since Tuesday across most of the region, including nearly 2.5 inches in Havre de Grace, 2.6 inches near Edgewater and 2 inches in Westminster, according to the weather service. The storm total at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport was more than 2.25 inches, and the 1.61 inches measured on Wednesday broke a record dating to 1940.
Wind gusts reached about 30 mph Wednesday afternoon at BWI. About 80 flights were delayed at the airport, most of them arrivals from other parts of the country, but no cancellations were reported as of 5 p.m. Travelers reported short security lines at the airport via social media.
More than 4,200 flights were delayed and 500 flights canceled across the country Wednesday, according to FlightStats.com, a website that monitors air traffic data.
The weather service said western Pennsylvania, western New York and Vermont could get more than a foot of snow before skies clear Thursday. Flood watches were in effect for eastern portions of the Northeast.
Dry, cold weather and mostly sunny skies are forecast in the Baltimore area for Thanksgiving, with temperatures peaking in the mid-30s and 15- to 20-mph winds making it feel below freezing throughout the day. For the Ravens-Steelers game Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium, winds are expected to die down, with air temperatures around freezing.
Reuters contributed to this article.
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