Maryland Weather: Arctic front to bring coldest air of the season
BALTIMORE -- The cold air that has plagued the region for the past several days will persist through the rest of the week. In fact, temperatures are set to drop further as an arctic front is expected to track into the area Thursday morning, potentially bringing the coldest air of the season by the weekend.
Overnight temperatures tonight, under mostly clear skies, will fall into the low to mid-20s across the region. Elevated winds will create wind chills in the teens for some areas by Wednesday morning.
Skies will turn mostly cloudy on Wednesday, with slightly warmer high temperatures reaching the lower 40s. By late Wednesday night, the arctic front will begin pushing into the region. Ahead of the front, gusty southwest winds of over 30 miles per hour will keep overnight lows into Thursday morning slightly milder, in the upper 30s.
The front is expected to move into the region around sunrise Thursday or just before. Along the boundary, expect rain showers to transition quickly to a mix of rain and snow or all snow. Snowfall may come down intensely for a short period, potentially leading to light accumulations on grassy surfaces, particularly north and west of Baltimore.
Once the snow showers clear, winds will become the main story Thursday afternoon and evening. Gusts out of the northwest could exceed 40 miles per hour along the I-95 corridor, while higher elevations in western areas—such as the Catoctin Mountains in northern Frederick County and Parr's Ridge in Carroll and Howard counties—may experience gusts over 50 miles per hour.
If you're traveling to western Maryland, be prepared for heavy snow and blowing snow, with near-blizzard conditions possible in Garrett County. Wind chills in those areas could drop to near or below zero.
For the rest of the region, conditions will remain windy and cold through Friday. Overnight lows Thursday night will dip into the lower 20s, with wind chills dropping into the teens by Friday morning. Highs on Friday will struggle to climb beyond the mid-to-upper 30s. Even colder temperatures are expected Friday night, with many areas seeing lows around 20 degrees by Saturday morning.
Weekend Outlook
Saturday will remain cold, with highs in the upper 30s to near 40 degrees. However, a warming trend is on the horizon. By Sunday, high temperatures will rebound to near 50 degrees. Clouds will increase Sunday night, bringing a chance of showers into Monday.
Monday's high temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-50s, with highs near 60 possible by Tuesday. An active weather pattern is expected midweek, with several rounds of rain likely through the latter part of the week. Despite the precipitation, temperatures will remain mild, with highs in the 40s and 50s to close out the week.
