Marylanders who dread snow know why they live in the eastern part of the state. Easterners who love snow, and can't ever seem to get enough of it here, need to spend more time in Maryland's mountainous west. For, as cold and snowy as it's been here so far this winter, Garrett is where winter is really happening.

I've never been able to find a reliable online measure for the season's snowfall in Garrett. But just a glance at their forecast this week, and at some of the web cam images from that region of the state (that's the WISP ski resort at left), leave no doubt that the place is getting loads of snow.

UPDATE: Just got this from Lori Epp, the director of marketing for WISP: "It's been snowing in Deep Creek Lake, Md. for seven days straight now, and no complaints from us folks at WISP."

ANOTHER UPDATE, 6 p.m.: A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for Garrett County until 1 p.m. Wednesday. They're expecting another foot of snow overnight at some higher elevations.

McHenry, near Deep Creek Lake, is expecting 3 to 5 inches of new snow today. The white stuff is blowing around in 18 mph west winds. There's more on tap - another 2 to 4 inches - in the forecast for Wednesday. And the snow-shower icons just keep coming through the end of the week. But don't forget your longjohns and your face masks. By Friday the overnight lows will drop into the single digits.

The cold Canadian air and snow - Baltimore could still see some flurries Tuesday - continue to be driven our way by north winds pumped between a counter-clockwise rotation around a stubborn low over northeastern Canada, and the clockwise rotation around a high west of the Great Lakes.

The persistently strong north winds have been driving the water out of the Chesapeake Bay, resulting in low tides one to two feet below forecast levels. (Red line at right shows actual tide levels; blue line shows predicted levels). They are recovering now as winds subside, but if you have any low-water photos, I'd love to see them.

And while the winds should be diminishing, and temperatures moderating (a little) this week, there is more wintry weather headed our way at week's end.

Forecasters out at Sterling are calling for a chance of snow Thursday afternoon and evening as a small disturbance sweeps around the edges of a new invasion of arctic air into the nation's midsection. Any accumulations will be light, they say. Prospects for the development of a coastal storm, and a more serious snowfall for Baltimore, seem to have disappeared. (You want snow? See above.)

The real news, once again this weekend, will be more below-normal cold temperatures and another round of high winds as the new, colder air mass arrives. The forecast for BWI calls for highs to drop below the freezing mark Thursday night and stay there until Monday. Overnight lows will reach the teens Friday night, and dip as low as 15 on Saturday night into Sunday.

(PHOTOS Courtesy of WISP resort)