The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for Garrett County and parts of West Virginia through Saturday morning.
What’s Happening: An Arctic front will bring heavy snow, high winds, and dangerous wind chills to the Alleghenies starting Friday morning. The watch expires Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
What’s Expected:
- Around 6 inches of snow, with higher totals possible on western ridges including Backbone Mountain, Piney Mountain, Keysers Ridge, and North Fork Mountains
- Wind gusts up to 60 mph
- Heaviest snow Friday afternoon through Friday night
- Wind chills dropping to single digits or below zero Friday night
- Wind chills as low as 20 to 30 below zero late Saturday afternoon
What Could Happen: Whiteout conditions may make travel dangerous on I-68/US-40 west of Frostburg, US-219 from the Pennsylvania line south to the West Virginia line, US-48 west of Moorefield, West Virginia, and US-33/WV-28 west of Franklin, West Virginia. Roads in open areas may become impassable due to blowing and drifting snow Friday night through Saturday. Strong winds may down power lines and cause power outages.
The Risk: Frostbite and hypothermia can occur in less than 30 minutes in the expected conditions.
What Officials Say: The weather service urged people to stay indoors until conditions improve. Anyone who must go outside should dress in layers, with several layers of clothes providing more warmth than a single heavy coat. Gloves, a scarf, and a hat help prevent body heat loss. Officials said people should delay all travel if possible. Anyone who must travel should drive with extreme caution, be prepared for sudden visibility changes, and make sure their car is winterized and in good working order.
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