Most forecasters, including the National Weather Service, have been calling for 18 to 24 inches of snow across Central Maryland. But the latest runs of major forecast models Friday morning were getting more extreme — weather service meteorologists’ best guess for the Baltimore area is in the realm of 24 to 30 inches, with more than 30 inches possible if the storm overperforms. If it underperforms, we’re still looking at nearly a foot of snow.

It is expected to snow the heaviest overnight Friday and into Saturday morning, not tapering off until some time before dawn Sunday morning. You can expect as much as a foot by the time the sun rises Saturday, and as much as another foot by Sunday morning.

Factors that could put us on the lower end of predictions include the storm’s track and whether relatively mild air moves in overhead, creating sleet or other mixed precipitation. But we could also end up on the higher end if, say, temperatures stay in the 20s. Highs are forecast in the lower 30s. Colder air means finer, fluffier snow that packs down less (and isn’t good for snowballs or snowmen).

(Source: Baltimore Sun)