Storm arrives early Sunday to mix with sleet

QUICK LINKS|| Closings/Delays | Weather Advisories | Radar | Forecast | Email Alerts | Send us your pics |||| @wbaltv11 | @TTasselWBAL | @AvaWBAL | @TonyPannWBAL | @DalenciaWBAL | @AlenaLeeWX ||RESOURCES: WBAL-TV 11 Winter Weather Guide | Get Weather Push AlertsTRACK SNOW PLOWS: State | Anne Arundel | City | Baltimore Co. | Carroll | Harford | HowardCDC: Preventing Frostbite, HypothermiaREADY.gov: Disaster Kit | Car SafetyWEATHER TALK: Prepare Pets for Winter BALTIMORE — Heavy snow is falling across Maryland as part of a high-impact snowstorm with as much as 1-2 inches of accumulation an hour. Beware that it all changes to sleetfreezing rain by midday.The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for Saturday night lasting through Monday.Meteorologist Tony Pann said the storm is moving faster than it appeared to be before and it will be gone by late Sunday night.The heavier precipitation and cold temperatures will mean icy conditions for the entire week from this snow and ice. That could also contribute to potential power outages.| WINTER GUIDE: Snow safety, driving hazards | Preparing your home for snowSnow timeline: Here’s what we’re trackingHere’s what we’re watching on all the different computer models coming in to WBAL-TV.Download the WBAL-TV app NOW and turn on push alerts to receive winter weather advisories and warnings, listen to NOAA Weather radio, and watch WBAL-TV 11 News as impending snowstorms develop.Snow started in earnest late Saturday and intensified into early Sunday morning. Road conditions are deteriorating quickly — all before precipitation changes to sleet (pellets of ice) or freezing rain (super-cold rain that freezes into ice when it hits cold surfaces) by midday.| SNOW TIMELINE: Futurecast shows snow transitioning to ice in BaltimoreSnow started after midnight SaturdayHeavy snow continues through Sunday morning with temperatures in the TEENSPrecipitation changes to sleet by midday and then light freezing rainEnding roughly around 11 p.m. Sunday Expect dangerous travel conditions and an increased risk of downed trees and power lines. And, don’t expect the snow and ice to disappear anytime soon. Temperatures will stay below freezing all week.Snow totals forecast updateOn the low end, 4-5 inches of snow accumulation is possible, particularly to the south of Baltimore and on the Lower Eastern Shore.The Baltimore area and Interstate 95 corridor are likely to get 6-10 inches of snow-and-ice combined.Where the snow lasts longer, like in the northwest suburbs of Baltimore, those areas could receive more than a foot of snow.This article will be updated. The WBAL-TV 11 Weather team will keep you updated as the storm gets underway.States of Emergency issuedMaryland Gov. Wes Moore on Friday afternoon issued a State of Emergency to clear the way for immediate use of state resources across agencies, including the Maryland National Guard.”This winter storm has the potential to be remarkably dangerous,” Moore said Friday afternoon. “A storm of this magnitude demands an all government response that protects all of our people before, during and after the snowfall.”The State Emergency Operations Center and the Maryland State Highway Administration Emergency Operations Center will activate Saturday. Maryland State Police will increase staffing across the state.”We are asking Marylanders to be a part of this preparedness effort starting right now. We are asking to first and foremost stay off the roads throughout the storm,” Maryland Emergency Management Secretary Russell Strickland said.”Our ask, our plea to the people in the state is, if you can, stay off the roads. If you can, please hunker down. Do not think that this is an understatement or a game. It is not,” Moore said. “For people who are essential, for people who have to go out, I would say, please follow the instructions we have laid out.”Video below: Gov. Wes Moore, state leaders update storm preparednessThe Maryland Department of Transportation has readied thousands of pieces of equipment as crews pretreat roads with salt brine. Crews will work 12-hour shifts to clear the snow.”We will also be monitoring pavement conditions in real time with infrared technology in fixed weather stations and on more than 100 vehicles across the state. This technology helps us determine if the road is about to freeze. If that happens, we will dispatch crews and warn travelers with overhead messaging signs,” Maryland acting Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson said.The Maryland National Guard has mobilized more than 100 personnel to provide transportation, mobility and logistical support to preserve public safety, save lives, prevent human suffering, mitigate property damage, and enable recovery efforts.”We’ll be out in Hagerstown, Sykesville, Havre de Grace, Easton, Salisbury and Dundalk initially, with a small contingent in Baltimore at the Fifth Regiment Armory,” Maryland National Guard adjutant general Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead said.Video below: How the state is preparing for the stormThe Maryland Public Service Commission is coordinating utilities on storm preparedness efforts and outage response, particularly with the potential for heavy snow and ice accumulation.”We could have parts of the state where the snow is the least of the issues that we’re concerned about. It will actually be the ice that we’re concerned about,” Moore said.The governor said he has also requested a federal emergency declaration for personnel, equipment and funding for protective measures.Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also issued a State of Emergency for the city, and Phase 2 of Baltimore’s Snow Emergency Plan will take effect at noon Saturday.”Road pretreatment has already started, and we’ve lined up the tools that we need to manage the snow, including additional plow and salt contractors. We’re in close contact with our partners at the state and the federal level, including to coordinate assets like Humvees and high-clearance vehicles from the Maryland National Guard,” Scott said Friday.Howard County and the Carroll County Board of County Commissioners also issued a State of Emergency.Why a human touch mattersCellphone weather forecast apps are based on only one model solution while there are dozens of models.While you might see elsewhere some snow predictions that include accumulation forecasts, refresh WBALTV.com often for an updated interpretation from our team of meteorologists who know Baltimore weather, and its patterns, best.Video below: Baltimore City officials update storm preparednessVideo below: Baltimore County officials update storm preparedness Are you prepared?Video below: Crews prepare for winter snowstorm, offer tips With just days until the winter storm is expected to reach the Baltimore region, state and local officials are urging residents to be prepared for the winter blast, and experts are weighing in on how to stay safe.Grocery stores, like the Safeway in Canton, are stocking up on the essentials ahead of what they expect will be a big rush leading up to the storm.Meanwhile, experts shared several tips with WBAL-TV 11 News about how to make sure your car is winterized, should you need to drive somewhere during the storm. Officials, however, ask residents to stay home unless they need to leave. It’s been a while since Baltimore got a lot of snowA decade has passed since Baltimore received snowfall of more than 6 inches — could that change this weekend?Thursday marks the 10-year anniversary of Baltimore’s biggest snow event on record: The Blizzard of January 2016!Weather Talk video below: Remembering the Blizzard of 2016 in MarylandMeteorologist Tony Pann takes a look back at the data from the weather station at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport recorded 29.2 inches of snow, and other spots north of Baltimore reached over 30 inches.It has been 10 years since Baltimore received any storm produce more than 6 inches of snow at BWI-Marshall.WBAL-TV 11 Maryland Weather RadarApp users tap here for interactive radar.Alert Days vs. Impact DaysYou may see the WBAL-TV 11 Weather Team highlight Alert Days or Impact Days in the forecasts. Here’s what that means:An Impact Day is when weather will likely disrupt your normal daily schedule or routine.An Alert Day is when there’s a threat of extreme, severe and possibly life-threatening weather. Share your weather photos and videosWhen and where safe, show us your weather photos and videos, we may show them on 11 News or online!DIRECT UPLOAD: Use this form to upload photos or video.EMAIL: Just email your photos and video to news@wbaltv.com.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PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=