Weather Closings In Baltimore County On March 2 2018

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD – Public schools in Baltimore County are closed on Friday, March 2, officials announced Friday morning. After-school activities, including high school athletic practices and games, are canceled.

School offices are opening on time on Friday, March 2, according to Baltimore County Public Schools.

Baltimore County government is on liberal leave, as is the state of Maryland.

All Baltimore County recreation and parks activities are canceled on Friday, March 2.

In addition to Baltimore, schools in Calvert, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Howard, Garrett, Montgomery, Prince George's counties and Baltimore City are closed on Friday. Schools in Cecil County are dismissing early.

A mix of rain and snow showers is in the forecast before 10 a.m., with winds in the upper 30 mph range. A coating of snow is expected until showers taper off around 10 a.m., weather officials advise. Visibility may be limited, and debris may fly across roads, making travel difficult.

A high wind warning is in effect for the Baltimore-Washington region until 6 a.m. on Saturday, March 3. Sustained winds will be 30 to 40 mph, with gusts up to 60 to 70 mph.

Wind gusts of 52 mph were recorded at BWI, the National Weather Service advised after 7 a.m. Weather officials said gusts could reach up to 80 mph west of Interstate 95.

"This will be a prolonged, high-impact windstorm for the region, with many downed trees and power lines expected," the National Weather Service said in a special weather statement.

Some traffic lights were out and trees down across the region, and MARC train service has been suspended due to the weather conditions on Friday, March 2.

Downed trees have been found on Greenspring Avenue at Druid Park Drive near Woodberry and Liberty Road at Offutt Road in the Randallstown area, Fox 45 reported before 9 a.m.

More than 3,300 BGE customers in Baltimore County were reporting outages Friday morning as of 8:50 a.m.

Due to the weather forecast, all Baltimore County Public Schools will be closed on Friday, March 2, 2018. Offices report on time.
— Baltimore County Public Schools (@BaltCoPS) March" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/BaltCoPS/s... 2, 2018

"In addition to the magnitude of the high wind gusts, the duration of the winds will add to the hazardous nature of this event, as winds will continue through the weekend before diminishing below 30 mph Sunday afternoon," officials reported. "This will hamper the repair of power lines and tree removal."

Officials said that widespread power outages had been reported, and travel is dangerous for both high-profile vehicles and pedestrians, who should be aware of flying objects.

"People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches," the National Weather Service said. "If possible, remain in the lower levels of your homes during the windstorm, and avoid windows. If you use a portable generator, follow manufacturer`s instructions and do not use inside homes, garages or apartments."

Image via CHART.