CUMBERLAND — After spring-like temperatures Monday, forecasters are warning travelers to delay trips ahead of a potentially dangerous storm that could bring mixed precipitation to the region beginning Wednesday afternoon.
“While there could be a little snow tomorrow afternoon, most of the precipitation from the upcoming storm will be later tomorrow night and Thursday morning,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines said in a Tuesday email. “There can be a mix of sleet and freezing rain at the start — probably shortly after midnight — then freezing rain late tomorrow night and early Thursday.”
According to AccuWeather, parts of the central Appalachians north through Pennsylvania and southern New York are most at risk for a significant ice storm, and Cumberland is among the cities at risk for power outages, downed tree limbs and nearly impossible travel conditions.
“The big question mark with this storm is how much sleet and how much freezing rain there will be,” Kines said. “If there is more freezing rain, then there is the risk of tree limbs and power lines coming down along with power outages. If the primary precipitation is sleet, then there is less of a threat of power outages (sleet doesn’t stick to power lines and tree limbs) but still hazardous travel.”
The National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning for the region Tuesday afternoon, saying total sleet accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations between two- and three-tenths of an inch are possible. The warning covers 7 p.m. Wednesday to noon Thursday.
Kines said temperatures will climb well above freezing by Thursday afternoon, but a second round of wintry weather could arrive for the weekend.