Maryland State Highway crews preparing equipment ahead of weekend storm

BALTIMORE -- Maryland State Highway crews road crews are making preparations for a winter storm expected to impact the area this weekend.

Crews are making sure equipment is available and operable.

Officials said crews will not pre-treat the roads for snow if the storm brings rain to the area first.  

The following districts will start after rush hour this evening.

• District 7 (Carroll, Frederick, and Howard)
• District 4 (Baltimore and Harford)  

Our Forecast

We are declaring Saturday a "WJZ First Alert Weather Day" for the impacts of a Winter storm affecting the Mid-Atlantic. 

• Rain and snow will move into the area Saturday afternoon and continue through early Sunday morning.   
• The most likely area for significant snowfall accumulations, potentially over 5 inches, is along and northwest of I-95, with increasing chances the farther north and west you go from the Baltimore Beltway, particularly in Carroll and Frederick Counties.
• Closer to Baltimore, the potential for significant snow totals diminishes notably, indicating a lower likelihood of substantial snowfall.
• The Eastern Shore may experience some snow at the beginning of the storm on Saturday afternoon, but this will rapidly transition to rain and remain so for the remainder of the storm.
• While it is too early for specific impact assessments, parts of the area could receive over 1 inch of rain, and areas north and west of Baltimore might see up to 10 inches of snow, with I-95 acting as a critical dividing line for these weather patterns.

The storm is still developing, and any shift in the storm track will change the outcome in a major way, so we'll be monitoring this and will keep you posted throughout the week. 

Related: Maryland Weather: Dry today but tracking weekend storm