The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory, effective from 2 a.m. until noon tomorrow, warning of freezing rain across the northern and western suburbs of Baltimore and Washington. As much as a tenth of an inch of ice accumulation is possible. Slippery roads may be an issue in the morning in the advisory area.

Farther west, from Washington County west, they're under a Winter Storm Warning, and could see a quarter-inch of ice. Power outages seem likely, too, as ice weighs down limbs and wires.

The storm is brewing in the Deep South, tapping into moisture from the Gulf, which it will carry up the Appalachians overnight. The rain will fall into sub-freezing temperatures near the surface, freezing on contact. If the forecast holds up, I think we can expect some delayed openings, at least, north and west of the urban centers.

Down here in the city, and from here south and east, we're only offered a Hazardous Weather Outlook. We could see some early freezing rain, but mostly we get plain rain - and now they're talking about as much as 2 inches of it, along with minor flooding and maybe even some thunder.

Remember, it's a state law: when your wipers are on, you must switch on your headlights.