Watch CBS News

Sleet & Snow Hit Baltimore Metro Area; Drivers Urged To Stay Off The Road

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Sleet and snow are pelting the Baltimore metro area. Drivers are encouraged to stay off the roads.

Meteorologist Chelsea Ingram reports.

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect through 10 a.m. Monday for our viewing area. After a brief lull in the precipitation Sunday evening, another batch will roll through beginning around 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., likely in the form of freezing rain and lasting into the morning commute.

Hazardous travel conditions are possible due to slick roads and icy conditions. Travel is likely to be severely impacted Sunday afternoon through Monday morning. Many counties have activated snow emergency plans. BGE crews are working to repair power outages.

Many counties now have snow emergency plans in effect, including: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Washington. Disabled vehicles and crashes continue to plague roadways throughout the state – for a complete listing of current incidents, click here.

"At this time, we're asking drivers to delay travel," said SHA Administrator Melinda B. Peters. "Weather sources continue to forecast freezing rain and potential ice accumulation later in the afternoon and early evening. SHA forces will continue to work into the evening and throughout the night."

In addition to plows and dump trucks, additional emergency traffic patrols are on duty to assist disabled vehicles and manage roadway incidents. Additionally, heavy duty tow trucks are positioned around the state to assist disabled heavy trucks.

If you must travel, slow down, use caution, allow plenty of distance between vehicles, use snow tires and allow plenty of time for travel. Remember to give plenty of following distance when traveling behind snow plows and slow down – posted speed limits are for ideal weather conditions.

Ramps, bridges and overpasses freeze first, so drivers should remain on guard at all times. If your vehicle does become disabled, make every effort to move from the travel lane and onto the shoulder. Remain alert for inactive traffic signals as a result of power outages.

Here's a breakdown:

Timeline:

Temps are forecast to stay at or below freezing for the next 8 to 12 hours and won't be rising above freezing until 7 or 8 a.m. Monday.

At that point in time, we will begin to see a transition to all rainfall. This means that the morning commute will be extremely messy.

Accumulations:

Accumulations range anywhere between 1 to 9 inches of snow.

Expect an additional 0.5 inch of ice accumulation for portions of western Maryland with locally more possible. For everyone else, including Baltimore City, an additional .25 inch of ice accumulation will be possible overnight.

Be safe driving Monday morning. Turn on your headlights and drive slow.

Check: Current Conditions| Radar & Maps

Other Local News:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.