Overnight temperatures dropped following a spring-like Wednesday afternoon, leaving many commuters in the Baltimore area to face a snowy ride Thursday morning.

Snow was falling across the region early Thursday, prompting school systems across the Baltimore region to delay openings. Schools in Howard, Harford, Frederick and Baltimore counties opened two hours late, while schools were closed in Carroll, Cecil and Garrett counties.

A winter weather advisory was in effect through 9 a.m. for much of central and northern Maryland. The National Weather Service was calling for up to three inches of snow in some locations. Wind gusts were expected to surpass 20 miles per hour, and the Bay Bridge was under limited wind restrictions due to gusts early Thursday, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.

In many areas, the snow was sticking to cars and grass, but not to roadways. The State Highway Administration planned to delay pre-treating roads until after midnight because rain was not forecast to change to snow until early Thursday.

The wintry start to Thursday seemed impossible just hours earlier, as Maryland experienced unseasonably warm weather.

The temperature hit 72 degrees at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Wednesday, breaking the previous record of 70 set in 1965, according to Andrew Snyder, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

It was a second straight day of record warmth. Tuesday's unseasonably warm weather also peaked at 72 degrees at BWI, breaking the previous record of 64 in 1904.

Unseasonably warm temperatures are expected to return over the weekend, with a potential high reaching 60 degrees Sunday.

A look at the forecasted snowfall across Maryland on Thursday.

A look at the forecasted snowfall across Maryland on Thursday.

Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.