Snow, Frigid Cold Possible Overnight In MD, Forecast Says

Maryland is in for some weather whiplash. After highs in the 50s in the Baltimore-DC region Wednesday, frigid air will move in and bring a risk of overnight snow, the National Weather Service said.

Rain will fall later tonight until about 4 a.m., then the precipitation will switch to snow as temperatures drop to the upper-20s. Thursday could be the coldest day of the year so far, one forecast said.

Even if the snow doesn't stick, the rapidly falling temperatures are likely to make for hazardous driving on the roads late Wednesday and Thursday just north of Maryland. This could lead to wet roads quickly freezing, creating dangerous conditions.

"Even without a blockbuster snowstorm for the Interstate-95 cities, there could still be impacts to travel across the region," Accuweather said.

Wind gusts out of the northwest rising to 32 miles per hour could also bring a wind chill early Thursday. The chance of precipitation is 70%, with little or no snow accumulation expected in the Baltimore-DC region, the NWS said.

A winter weather advisory is in effect from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 10 a.m. Thursday for western Garrett County in Maryland, where up to 3 inches of snow is expected. Winds will gust as high as 45 mph in the mountains, the NWS said.

"The cold front passing through tonight — a little after midnight — may not produce much in the way of precipitation but it will produce a sharp drop in temperatures," The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang said. "On Thursday, temperatures may not budge, holding in the upper 20s and low 30s all day. Factoring in winds, gusting over 30 mph, it will feel like the teens for the duration. This will be among the coldest days of the winter so far."

Snow is also possible Saturday morning before temperatures climb back into the 40s.

Here's the latest Maryland forecast from the National Weather Service:

Wednesday Afternoon
Cloudy, with a high near 51. Southeast wind around 6 mph.

Wednesday Night
Rain likely before 4am, then a slight chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 29. Blustery, with a southwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming northwest 15 to 20 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 32. West wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.

Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. West wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. West wind 6 to 11 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Saturday
A chance of rain and snow before 1pm, then a chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 44. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.

Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.

M.L.King Day
Mostly sunny, with a high near 35.

Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 20.

Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 29.