CUMBERLAND — The groundhog is making good on his prediction of six more weeks of winter weather as another blast of Arctic air will impact the region this weekend.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Cumberland native Chad Merrill said snow will accumulate on all surfaces Friday afternoon with a coating to an inch in central and eastern Allegany County and “much more to the west.”
Between 2 and 8 a.m. Saturday, Merrill said a front will push through the area with winds gusting to 50-55 mph in Allegany County and up to 50 mph in Garrett County. Blizzard conditions are expected overnight Friday in Garrett County, continuing through midday Saturday with snow accumulation of 4 to 7 inches.
Allegany County and points east can expect “a few flurries that will continue into Saturday,” Merrill said. Temperatures Friday night are expected to drop to the single digits and Saturday’s high is forecasted to reach 16 degrees.
A Winter Storm Watch issued by the National Weather Service for Garrett County is in effect from 10 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday. An Extreme Cold Watch for western Allegany and Garrett counties is in effect from 4 a.m. through noon on Saturday. Merrill expected Cold Weather Advisories to expand into central and eastern Allegany County as wind chills “will be dangerous” overnight Friday into Saturday.