Columbia Under Winter Weather Advisory

By Elizabeth Janney and Deb Belt

Travel conditions may be hazardous Wednesday in Howard County, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a winter weather advisory from 4 a.m. to noon for much of central Maryland.

Related: Howard County Public Schools Delay Opening on Wednesday

The advisory calls for snow which, coupled with below-freezing temperatures, could make driving dangerous. Drivers should be prepared for limited visibility and snow-covered roads.

State Highway Administration officials are encouraging people to delay travel or use public transit Wednesday morning.

Snow will start sometime between 4 and 6 a.m., then mix with sleet and trail off by the afternoon, according to the weather service.

Up to an inch of snow is possible in Columbia, where the high is 31 degrees on Wednesday, according to the forecast.

Highway crews were pre-treating major roads and interstates Tuesday with salt brine to prevent snow accumulation. Precipitation is likely to freeze on untreated road surfaces Tuesday night as temperatures drop, making any travel dangerous.

Northwest, southeast and central Howard County are under the winter weather advisory, in addition to southern Baltimore County; northwest, central and southeastern Montgomery County; Prince George’s County; and Anne Arundel County.