Cold, possibly more snow expected to follow relatively warmer Tri-State weather midweek

Forecasters expect temperatures in the 40s on Wednesday to give the Tri-State area a brief respite from the harsh winter weather of late, but the mercury is expected to drop for the rest of the week and more snow is a possibility.

"Obviously, that's not particularly warm, but for this time of year it's a few degrees above normal, and, relative to the teens and single-digit wind chills we've been having, it's going to be pretty nice," said forecaster John Banghoff of the National Weather Service office in State College, Pa., which covers Franklin and Fulton counties.

Forecaster Jeremy Geiger of the National Weather Service office in Sterling, Va., also sees temperatures in the mid 40s on Wednesday in Washington County and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Both Geiger and Banghoff predict that colder temperatures will move in Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with the possibility of an inch or two of snow accumulation around the region by Thursday morning.

Geiger is forecasting highs during the day Thursday in the upper 20s to low 30s, with temperatures dropping into the low teens to single digits Thursday night.

He expects highs in the 20s during the day Friday and nighttime temperatures similar to Thursday night.

"It gets pretty chilly by the end of the week," he said.

Banghoff agreed.

"It looks like winter is going to be here for a while," he said.

Earlier: Winds expected to reach 50 mph in Washington County and neighboring counties Monday night

More: A snowstorm is heading to the Hagerstown, Tri-State area. Check our tracker for more updates

Both Geiger and Banghoff see the possibility of more snow this weekend, but they said it's too early to tell.

"Some computer models have a sizable storm, some have absolutely nothing," Banghoff said.

What did the storm Sunday into Monday bring the region?

Washington County received between 2 and 4 inches of snow Sunday night, which county road crews were still working to clear Tuesday morning, according to Highways Director Zane Rowe.

Main roads were in generally good condition, he said, and plow crews were concentrating on clearing secondary roads of the hard-packed snow and ice that refreezes when the mercury drops at night.

All of the county's 40 plow trucks available worked from 2 p.m. Sunday to 4 p.m. Monday. Plow crews were back out at 4 a.m. Tuesday with plans to work into the afternoon if warmer daytime temperatures had loosened the hard pack enough to remove it, Rowe said.

"Historically, you get those freeze-thaw cycles, it freezes at night and thaws during the day, and you just try to clean it up the best you can," he said.

Rowe expects Wednesday's warmer temperatures to help, and he hoped that all the roads would be clear by later in the week.

The cycle could repeat itself, though, given the forecast for a bit more snow on Thursday.

"It may be once of those cycles that we're in that every week," Rowe said. "We seem to get a little bit of stuff just to make a mess."

He noted that his department has received more complaints lately about plowing operations clogging driveways, but he said it can't be helped.

"We don't want to plow people in, but all the snow comes off the plow to the right," Rowe said. "Unfortunately, it is what it is and we have to get the roads open."

In Hagerstown, plow crews have also been working since Sunday afternoon, and by Tuesday the main streets were in good shape and side streets were at least passable, according to Public Works Director Eric Deike.

City streets are also affected by the freeze-thaw cycle, but not as severely as rural roads, Deike said.

The availability of cleared on-street parking spaces was "hit-or-miss" in the city Tuesday, but Deike said the Central Lot bordered by Washington, Franklin, Potomac and Locust streets was clear and parking was also available in the two downtown parking decks.

"There's plenty of parking available downtown," he said. "That's not a problem."

City plow crews will continue to work as needed, according to Deike.

"We appreciate the public's patience as we work through these storms," Deike said. "It's a hassle for everybody.

"We understand that and we're doing the best we can."

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Tri-State could be warmer Wednesday, but cold and possibly snow coming