Baltimore, MD – A powerful Arctic storm is expected to bring near-blizzard conditions to parts of western Maryland and eastern West Virginia beginning Friday, with heavy snow, damaging winds, and dangerously cold temperatures forecast to make travel extremely hazardous.
According to the National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington office, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 10 a.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday for Garrett County, Maryland, and western Grant and Pendleton counties in West Virginia. The storm is expected to intensify late Friday night as an Arctic front moves through the Allegheny Mountains.
Forecasters say 6 to 8 inches of snow are expected, with locally higher amounts along western-facing ridges such as Backbone Mountain, Piney Mountain, and Keysers Ridge. Wind gusts could reach 50 to 60 mph, causing significant blowing and drifting snow and reducing visibility to less than one-quarter mile at times.
The combination of heavy snow and strong winds could make roads impassable, especially in open and elevated areas. Travel is expected to be particularly dangerous along Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40 west of Frostburg, U.S. 219 from the Pennsylvania line south to West Virginia, U.S. 48 west of Moorefield, and U.S. 33/WV-28 west of Franklin.
Officials warn that conditions could deteriorate rapidly during the Friday evening commute, with whiteout conditions possible overnight into early Saturday.
In addition to snow and wind, wind chills are forecast to drop below zero Friday night, with values as low as 20 to 30 degrees below zero from Saturday morning through Sunday morning. Exposure to these conditions could lead to frostbite or hypothermia in less than 30 minutes.
Residents are urged to avoid travel if possible, remain indoors, and dress in layers if going outside.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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