Highway Crews Prep for Winter Storm; Weather Alert Issued

A hazardous weather advisory has been issued for parts of Maryland, including Montgomery County, while state highway crews prepare for a winter storm that is expected to hit the region in time for Tuesday morning’s rush hour.

Most of Montgomery County is under a winter weather advisory as snow and then bone-chilling cold sweeps through the area, says the National Weather Service. Tuesday through Sunday a clipper system will bring accumulating snow to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area starting Monday night.

State highway crews have begun pre-treating major state roads with salt brine, which prevents snow and ice from sticking to the pavement. The snow is forecasted to begin as early as morning rush hour, which makes snow removal difficult in heavy traffic, the SHA says in a news release. Commuters need to make alternate plans, such as delaying travel, to avoid traffic delays.

Additionally, frigid cold temperatures and high winds are expected over the next three to four days. Travelers should always have a winter survival kit that includes a blanket, a fully charged cell phone, jumper cables and a shovel and ice scraper.

See the local forecast at The Weather Channel.

Temperatures are expected to drop through the week; Tuesday will only reach 36 degrees. On Wednesday, the high will reach the upper 20s. And forecasters have increased the snow chances to 50 percent Monday night and 90 percent on Tuesday.

Wednesday night, the low drops to the low teens, but the wind chill will make it feel like 1 degree, according to the NWS.

Thursday’s high will be in the low 20s, but the wind chill will stay in the single digest until noon and only reach 15 degrees.

Read: Coldest Temperatures of the Season Are On The Way

If traffic signals not be functioning as a result of the storm, Maryland law requires that drivers at all approaches to the intersection must stop as they would for a stop sign and then proceed when safe.

Dial 511 from a land line or mobile phone for traffic, weather alerts and road conditions, or check conditions at www.MD511.org. You can also follow the state highway department on Facebook and Twitter for updates.