If you braved the weather and made it to work today, you may want to leave early.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning, a hazardous weather outlook, and a special weather statement. In essence, it’s dangerous out there, and it’s going to get worse before it gets any better.

This morning’s snow was just the beginning. After a relatively calm afternoon, snow is expected to pick up again soon, getting heavy late this afternoon into early evening – yes, rush hour.

NWS says snowfall could reach two inches per hour at times, dumping five to 10 inches of snow on us before midnight.

Maryland State Highway officials report more than 1,100 people  are actively fighting today’s storm. Crews from the SHA and Maryland Transportation Authority developed snow emergency plans last night in anticipation of the storm beginning as a rain event, and deployed crews hours prior to the morning rush hour.  

Crews are scheduled to remain out throughout the day. With pavement temperatures hovering just at the freezing mark, crews primarily will be treating roadways with salt, which is very effective in melting ice and snow.  Motorists should remember that bridges, ramps and overpasses do freeze first.

"We were ready to hit the roads by 3 a.m.," SHA spokesman Dave Buck said. "We're also prepared for the next wave that is expected later this afternoon. The hard part is navigating people's expectations.

"At the height of the storm, it will be challenging to keep all the roads plowed, but we're confident that within a few hours after that, we'll have the roads salted and plowed."

SHA encourages motorists to stay behind and never pass snow plows.  Please remember to clear all the snow off of your vehicle before driving.  This includes the headlights, all windows, hood, trunk and roof of your vehicle.

For updates on roads conditions, log onto www.roads.maryland.gov and click on “CHART” to view live traffic cameras, average speed maps and crash and incident listings.