National Weather Service Issues Winter Storm Watch

RadioOnFire.com - A winter that has been fairly quiet so far is about to get very complicated.

WHAT TO KNOW

• Snow to start falling Monday night into Tuesday morning
• Heavy snowfall possible, depending on movement of storm
• Storm system will lift north, east Tuesday night
• Check back for updates! Forecast is ever-changing

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Watch for Monday evening through Tuesday afternoon for much of Maryland, saying there's a potential for 5 or more inches of snow within a 12-hour period.

From the National Weather Service:

The National Weather Service in Baltimore MD/Washington has issued a Winter Storm Watch, which is in effect from Monday evening through Tuesday afternoon.

* Precipitation type...snow.

* Accumulation...potential for 5 or more inches of snow within 12 hours. Some locations may see significantly higher accumulation.

* Timing...snow will overspread the area Monday evening and persist into Tuesday. * Impacts...the heavy snow may make many roads impassable and may produce power outages due to the weight of the snow on tree limbs and power lines.

* Winds...northeast 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.

* Temperatures...in the lower 30s. Precautionary/preparedness actions... A Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for significant snow, sleet, or ice accumulations that may impact travel. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts.

From WBAL-TV 11:

Snow is forecast to fall starting Monday night. The heart of the storm and heavy snow will fall during Tuesday morning's commute, particularly north and west of the Interstate 95 corridor.

WBAL-TV 11 Weather meteorologist Miri Marshall said, while it's very early in the forecasting stages, as much as 4-8 inches or more of snow could fall by Tuesday morning, but it depends on where the rain-snow line will move and when.

There are several different scenarios that show the rain-snow line in different places by early Tuesday morning, which will impact how much snow will fall.

The position of the area of low pressure is important. If the storm tracks farther west, snow will mix in with rain and sleet and that could cut down on the snow totals. But if the storm tracks farther east, drawing more cold air into the area, more snowfall is possible.

The storm is forecast to taper off Tuesday afternoon.