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Maryland Prepares For Possible Winter Storm Friday

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A major winter storm could hit the Baltimore metro area Friday afternoon, bringing 8 to 12 inches of snow.

According to WJZ Meteorologist Chelsea Ingram the storm could impact roads and create travel disruptions at major airports.

Ingram says:

The season's first significant winter storm is becoming more and more imminent and is expected to have a big, if not major, impact on the mid-Atlantic region.

The worst effects will most likely be felt starting later on Friday and continue all the way into Saturday.

Heavy snowfall will likely be coupled with strong wind gusts of greater than 50 mph for coastal communities.

This will contribute to beach erosion and coastal flooding (especially during high tide).

As far as snow accumulation maps are concerned, we are going to hold off on releasing those just yet as the difference between seeing a few inches of snow or well over a foot in portions of the mid-Atlantic region, may be less than 100 miles.

The disturbance that is going to be a key player with this major East Coast storm is still located in the Pacific Ocean so right now, the computer models only have buoy and satellite data to go off of.

Once this disturbance reaches the western US, we will have more data to feed into the numerical weather prediction models and this will output a more reliable solution.

For now, it is best to start thinking about what supplies you need if you are stuck inside for a couple of days and plan ahead as we are expecting a significant event.

Click here to read our weather blog.

If the storm stays on track, it is possible that we could see several inches of snow. Snowfall amounts will depend highly on the track of the storm; a shift of even 50 miles would result in changes.

A few flurries are also possible during the evening commute on Wednesday.

A gale warning may be issued Friday into Saturday.

Stay up-to-date with the latest First Warning WX forecast by downloading the CBS Baltimore App.

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