Oakland, Maryland – Wind gusts up to 50 mph are whipping heavy snow across western Maryland and nearby mountain counties, creating whiteout conditions and the risk of power outages through midnight.
According to the National Weather Service in Baltimore/Washington, a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until midnight for Western and Eastern Garrett counties in Maryland, Western Highland County in Virginia, and Western Grant and Western Pendleton counties in West Virginia. An additional 2 to 6 inches of snow is expected, with the highest totals along west-facing slopes above 3,000 feet. Northwest winds will gust between 35 and 50 mph, strongest this morning and again late this afternoon into the evening.
Visibility may drop below a quarter mile at times, especially along Interstate 68 and U.S. 40 west of LaVale, U.S. 48 west of Moorefield, U.S. 33 and WV-28 west of Franklin, and U.S. 250 west of Monterey. Blowing snow will drift across exposed roadways and mountain passes.
The combination of heavy snow and strong wind could snap tree limbs and bring down power lines, leading to scattered outages. Officials urge drivers to delay travel and check 511 for real-time road conditions. Keep emergency supplies in your vehicle in case you become stranded.
Snow and gusty winds will persist through the evening commute before easing closer to midnight. Additional advisories may follow if outages or drifting continue overnight.
