We may have some ice to contend with in the morning. The National Weather Service has posted a winter weather advisory, in effect from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday for Central and Western Maryland as far south as Howard County, Baltimore and eastward to the Bay.

Here's the heart of it:

"FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION PRIOR TO SUNRISE.
A MIX OF PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH DAY...SLOWLY CHANGING
TO RAIN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. COLD AIR...AND THUS FREEZING
PRECIPITATION...WILL HOLD ON THE LONGEST IN THE VALLEYS AND ALONG
THE MASON DIXON LINE. A FEW LOCATIONS MAY REMAIN ICY THROUGH THE
DAY.

"ONE TO TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BE
POSSIBLE BY SUNSET THURSDAY.

"A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET...OR
FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING."

And here's the forecast for Baltimore proper. Ick.

This, of course, is NOT the big storm forecast for Saturday and Sunday, just a little one tracking along the stalled front that's been parked over us since Sunday, providing alternately mild and cool temperatures and plenty of drizzle and fog. 

The BIG storm is beginning to sound wetter and icier for us, with the all-snow event pushed farther to our west and north and northeast. Here's a bit of this afternoon's discussion from Sterling:

"A WIDE AREAL RANGE OF MIXED WINTRY PRECIP EXPECTED ACROSS THE I-95
CORRIDOR W/ THIS WEEKEND EVENT. A COLD RAIN ON SAT. AFTERNOON POSSIBLY
TURNING INTO FREEZING RAIN/SLEET MIX INTO THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HRS. SNOW
MOST LIKELY ACROSS THE I-81 CORRIDOR...MIXING INTO THE PRECIP BACK
TO THE EAST OVERNIGHT SAT/SUN MORNING. (MOISTURE) LOOKS TO BE DECENT FOR
THE INCOMING SYSTEM...W/ BOTH AN ATLANTIC AND GULF OF MEXICO
MOISTURE ENHANCEMENT... AMOUNTS OF WINTRY PRECIP STILL
UNCERTAIN W/ MANY INTERWORKING VARIABLES ... "

Madman Margusity, of course, sees a more southerly track, and more snow - maybe even thundersnow - in the densely populated I-95 corridor.