Frostburg, Maryland – Dangerous winter conditions are set to intensify across western Maryland and eastern West Virginia beginning Friday, as a powerful Arctic front brings heavy snow, near-blizzard conditions, and life-threatening cold into the Alleghenies through early Saturday.
According to the National Weather Service in Baltimore/Washington, a Winter Storm Watch is in effect for Garrett County, MD, and Grant and Pendleton counties in West Virginia. Snow accumulations around 6 inches are possible, with locally higher totals along favored ridges such as Backbone Mountain, Keysers Ridge, and North Fork Mountain. Wind gusts could exceed 50 mph, producing whiteout conditions and blowing snow, especially Friday night.
Travel could become extremely dangerous or impossible on major routes including I-68 and US-40 west of Frostburg, US-219 near the Pennsylvania line, and US-33 and WV-28 west of Franklin. Strong winds may also down power lines, leading to sporadic outages during the height of the storm.
Behind the snow, bitter cold settles in quickly. Wind chills are expected to drop into the single digits and well below zero Friday night into Saturday, with some locations falling 20 to 30 below zero. Frostbite and hypothermia can develop in less than 30 minutes under these conditions.
Residents are urged to stay indoors, delay travel, and prepare homes now. Wrap exposed pipes, allow faucets to drip to prevent freezing, and charge devices ahead of potential outages. Dress in layers, cover exposed skin, and bring pets inside.
Snow and wind begin to ease later Saturday, but extreme cold lingers into the weekend, with additional advisories possible as conditions evolve.
