BEL AIR, Md. — A wintry mix is hitting Maryland the day after Christmas, bringing potential icy conditions and prompting state highway crews to respond.
Much of the Baltimore area was on the lookout for sleet and freezing rain Friday.
"We do understand this is the day after a holiday and a lot of people might be going home from wherever they visited- so if you do have to go out we recommend you drive your speeds down," said Charlie Gischlar, a spokesperson with the Maryland State Highway Administration.
Wintry mix impacts Maryland the day after Christmas
The SHA deployed crews across the state, but did not pre-treat highways because the precipitation started as rain, which would have washed away any pre-treatment, Gischlar explained.
Gischlar advised drivers to ensure their vehicles are in good condition with proper tires, working headlights and no burned-out bulbs before venturing out on the roads.
“Once the storm passes," he added, "we're going to have a little bit cooler weather, and any ice that builds up on tree branches has the opportunity to take them down, and that can be very dangerous. That can catch you by surprise, and it could land on a power wire, create power outages, and then you have traffic signals that are affected."
The timing of the storm on December 26 may have helped highway crews, as fewer school buses and commuters were on the roads compared to a typical weekday.
"If you do come across a traffic signal system that's out due to a power outage, everybody has to treat every leg of that intersection like it's a stop sign," he continued.
With the higher potential for ice further north, SHA highlighted western Maryland and Frederick County, as well as areas near the Pennsylvania border, including Carroll, Baltimore, Cecil and Harford counties.
State leaders urged residents to avoid traveling, especially during evening hours when conditions were expected to worsen.
For some out and about walking in Bel Air, like Ian Dowding, who lives in Boston but was home in Maryland for the holidays, the winter weather felt familiar.
"We get this all the time, this is nothing new for us, just feel like I'm back home," Dowding said.
Dowding took his golden retriever Chance out for a walk downtown as temperatures dropped.
“He has a little jacket he puts on if it’s really cold, and boots in case there’s a lot of salt because it’s not good for his paws, but he loves it," he added.
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