Winter Storm Watch out for the N &W Burbs

RGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
359 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2007

MDZ003>006-501-502-VAZ027-028-030-031-042-WVZ050>053-055-501>504-
160400-
/O.NEW.KLWX.WS.A.0004.070316T1500Z-070317T0400Z/
WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-NORTHERN BALTIMORE-
EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY-SHENANDOAH-
FREDERICK VA-WARREN-CLARKE-LOUDOUN-HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN-BERKELEY-
JEFFERSON-HARDY-WESTERN GRANT-EASTERN GRANT-WESTERN MINERAL-
EASTERN MINERAL-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HAGERSTOWN...FREDERICK...WESTMINSTER...
FROSTBURG...CUMBERLAND...WINCHESTER...FRONT ROYAL...LEESBURG...
MARTINSBURG...CHARLES TOWN...BAYARD...PETERSBURG...EMORYVILLE...
HARTMANSVILLE...KEYSER...FORT ASHBY
359 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2007

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING
THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING.

A STRONG COLD FRONT CROSSING THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON WILL USHER
IN DRASTICALLY COLDER TEMPERATURES. LOW PRESSURE WILL APPROACH THE
REGION TONIGHT...AND MOVE UP THE MID ATLANTIC COAST ON FRIDAY.

AS THE LOW NEARS...WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP LATE
TONIGHT AND CONTINUE ALL DAY FRIDAY. NEAR FREEZING SURFACE
TEMPERATURES COULD RESULT IN POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT WINTER
PRECIPITATION TO FALL ACROSS PARTS OF THE REGION.

FOR TONIGHT...MIXED RAIN SNOW AND SLEET IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AS
EARLY 7 PM TONIGHT ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAIN AREAS. THIS WINTRY
MIX WILL SPREAD EAST ACROSS THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AND THE NORTHERN
SHENANDOAH VALLEY OVERNIGHT.

ON FRIDAY...A RAIN AND SNOW MIX IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE POTOMAC
HIGHLANDS AND THE NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY DURING THE LATE MORNING
HOURS AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. AT TIMES MORE SNOW
THAN RAIN COULD OCCUR. AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS ABOVE 3000 FEET
FREEZING RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

FURTHER EAST ON FRIDAY...ACROSS EXTREME NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND
NORTH CENTRAL MARYLAND...RAIN WILL BECOME MIXED WITH SNOW IN THE
AFTERNOON. AT TIMES MORE SNOW THAN RAIN WILL OCCUR.

BY FRIDAY NIGHT...AS THE LOW MOVES UP THE COAST...PRECIPITATION
WILL CHANGE TO MOSTLY ALL SNOW DURING THE EVENING...BEFORE THE
PRECIPITATION ENDS LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.

UNCERTAINTY STILL EXISTS AS TO THE EXACT AMOUNT AND TYPE OF WINTER
PRECIPITATION BUT THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR 5 OR MORE INCHES OF
SNOW IN THE WATCH AREA. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS
FOR UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIAL WINTER STORM.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.