Marylanders are bracing for a storm Saturday that forecasters say will dump snow, sleet and rain across the state.

The National Weather Service has upgraded its winter storm watch for Saturday to include portions of northern Baltimore County as well as Carroll, Frederick, Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties. Forecasters on Friday were deciding whether to upgrade the watch to a warning and whether to issue advisories for the tier of counties east of the current watches.

Here’s a breakdown on where precipitation is expected to hit by location, and how much each area can expect to see.

I-95 corridor (including Baltimore and Baltimore County)

Forecasters say the likelihood of snowfall on Saturday differs for each side of the I-95 corridor. Precipitation is expected to begin early Saturday, bringing mainly rain east of the interstate and snow to the west of it. The area along the highway will likely see snow transition to a wintry mix and later in the day to all rain.

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Still, forecasters say storms like this one are complicated to track and can result in last-minute changes.

As of Friday morning, officials say areas closer to the Pennsylvania border and Western Maryland will see all snow for a longer period into Saturday evening, leading to the potential for greater snow accumulations.

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Northern Baltimore County and all of Carroll County could see up to 5 inches of snow and less than an inch of ice.

Baltimore City could see around an inch of snow before rain comes later in the day.

Western Maryland

Significant accumulations may occur in western Maryland, especially near I-81. Forecasters are expecting 4 to 6 inches in some areas, depending on elevation.

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WJZ’s First Alert Weather Team will continue to monitor the data and make adjustments to the forecast.

Southern Maryland and lower Eastern Shore

Southern Maryland is less likely to see snow accumulation on Saturday, but could see some flakes before 10 a.m. and a wintry mix between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Areas such as the upper Eastern Shore, specifically Kent and Queen Anne’s counties, could see a brief period of snow accumulation, not exceeding an inch, before changing to rain.

When will the storm hit?

Precipitation is expected to begin early Saturday.

Light rain and snow may linger into Sunday morning, but most accumulation will occur Saturday morning into Saturday night.

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Will the storm affect my travel?

Temperatures will not be cold enough for significant issues on the roads, however snowfall rates, if they are heavy, will cause roads to become snow-covered quickly and create problems. This is most likely to occur Saturday afternoon and evening.

WJZ will be monitoring travel conditions in downtown Baltimore this weekend for those attending this weekend’s Ravens game at M&T Bank Stadium.

WJZ is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner.

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