BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland State Highway Administration has started pre-treating state-maintained highways in advance of this weekend’s approaching winter storm. This would be the first winter storm in central Maryland this season and is expected to begin impacting travel Saturday morning through late Sunday.

Crews are carefully monitoring the track of the storm and are pretreating state roads with salt brine to prevent the initial bonding of snow and ice from forming on the pavement. The use of salt brine is often the first step State Highway crews take when a significant storm is forecast for the region.

“The State Highway Administration is prepared for the projected winter weather this weekend and we ask motorists to delay unnecessary travel during and immediately after any snowfall to allow our crews to clear the roads,” said State Highway Administrator William Pines. “Crews are most efficient at treating the roads when not encumbered by traffic. For those who must travel and for your safety, please stay behind snowplows when you see the roads being treated.”

The Statewide Transportation Operations Resource Map (STORM) identifies where State Highway Administration and contractual equipment are and where they have been, as well as real-time weather information.

For motorists that must travel this weekend, MDOT SHA also offers the following guidelines for winter driving.

• Slow down. Posted speed limits are for ideal (dry) weather conditions.
• Use extra caution on elevated surfaces, such as bridges, overpasses, and ramps as they are the first to freeze.
• Don’t crowd the plow. Stay behind and leave plenty of space between your vehicle and MDOT SHA equipment.
• Before driving, clear all snow from the vehicle as remaining snow on hoods and roofs can become ice and dislodge during highway travel which pose hazards to other motorists.
• Move over or slow down when approaching emergency equipment – It’s the law.

Commercial vehicle drivers are reminded that they can ride out storms that produce six inches or more in selected park-and-ride locations throughout the state. A list of these parks-and-rides is located online here.

The State Highway Administration also invites motorists to get the latest travel information, including views of our live traffic cameras that enable smart travel decisions by visiting https://roads.maryland.gov.