BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Bad winter weather is slamming many parts of the country. While some areas of Maryland are looking to get buried in snow, heavy rain and powerful winds are making their way toward Baltimore.

Monique Griego has more on what we can expect.

Bad weather is already causing problems for travelers and could mean power outages.

Dark clouds over Baltimore are a signal that heavy wind and rain—and all the problems that come with them—are headed our way.

“With high winds, it can bring those trees and tree limbs down on lines or electrical equipment,” said BGE Spokesperson Rachael Lighty.

BGE is gearing up to handle the mess this storm may bring.

“We have started to pre-mobilize our crews to make sure they’re ready to respond to outages as soon as they happen,” Lighty said.

As we wait, the first snow storm of the season is hitting 16 states in the Midwest. In Nebraska, streets are buried in wet snow, causing cars to slide off the road. In Iowa, two feet of snow brought traffic to a standstill.

“Once you’re stuck, you’re stuck. It’s hard to get out,” said one driver.

Also in Iowa, whiteouts led to a 25-car pileup that killed two people.

Bad weather in other parts of the country backed up holiday travel at BWI.

“I’m not really one to play the victim, but it was just chaos all around,” said Irene Pourladian.

Pourladian was supposed to fly home for Christmas, but winter weather canceled her flight and delayed several others. After waiting more than eight hours on standby, she finally learned when she’d be heading home.

“Fortunately, I get to go out on Christmas Eve,” she said. “I am so excited!”

BGE is asking homeowners to get ready in case of outages.

The storm led airlines to cancel about 1,000 flights ahead of the Christmas holiday and the number is still climbing.