Governor Wes Moore has declared a state of emergency as Maryland and the Baltimore region brace for the biggest snowfall in years, with predicted accumulations of five inches in the city and more elsewhere.

Area schools, colleges, government offices, MARC commuter trains and many bus lines are closed today as a storm that blanketed the Midwest with the white stuff headed east, with Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia in its path.

Fueled by unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, snowfall is expected to intensify this morning, then end in the early afternoon only to return this evening with scattered squalls, ending around midnight.

Already four inches of snow has fallen at BWI Marshall Airport, where 38% of outgoing flights were canceled this morning, with the rest experiencing mostly minor delays.

Up to a foot of snow is expected in Maryland’s southern counties and D.C., as much as 6-8 inches in Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore counties, and lighter accumulations north of the city.

Temperatures will drop tonight to the lower teens with gusts of wind – and will remain frigid for the rest of the week.

Power outages remain a threat, although no major outages have so far been reported by Baltimore Gas & Electric.

Roadways remain hazardous. Residents are urged not to travel except for emergencies.

Last night, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott activated the city’s emergency operations plan, which will stay in effect for 48 hours. Snowplows are beginning to clear major arteries as snow continues to fall.