Baltimore residents are expecting a variety of weather patterns as the holiday week progresses. According to the National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC, a warm front is moving in from the southwest and will be followed by a cold front tonight, potentially affecting post-Christmas travel plans.
Showers are likely to travel eastward during the morning, although thunderstorms from Ohio are expected to decrease along the way. The maximum temperature will feel more like spring, in the 50s to lower 60s, which is a welcome change for this time of year. Nonetheless, most areas, with the exception of central Virginia and the southern Shenandoah Valley, will experience overnight temperatures below freezing, so be prepared to bundle up after the sun sets.
Moving into Friday, a shortwave trough and surface low from the west are expected to bring down precipitation quantities in the Baltimore area. According to some model projections, there will be very little precipitation in the southern half to three-quarters of the predicted area as the low moves off the coast, providing some hope for drier conditions than previously expected. Residents in northeast Maryland should be watchful, as sleet and freezing rain are still possible, particularly over the eastern slopes of the Allegheny Front in western Maryland, where a quarter inch of ice might accumulate.
Saturday may see cloudy skies and the occasional drizzle as high pressure returns from the north. While some places southwest of US Route 33 may see temperatures in the mid to high 50s with some sunshine, the rest of the region will most likely see temperatures in the 40s and upper 30s under a greyscale canvas of winter clouds. As the week comes to a close, another front is expected to pass through in the middle of the next week, reminding us that winter has not yet truly arrived.
In terms of aviation, flyers may encounter brief periods of MVFR ceilings, but dry conditions are forecast this afternoon when winds move to the west and northwest, and pilots should expect gusty northerly winds following the cold front. For mariners, a Small Craft Advisory is in effect for the majority of the Chesapeake Bay and lower tidal Potomac River from this evening until the early hours of Friday, with gale conditions also expected in the aftermath of Sunday’s powerful cold front.
Marylanders should stay vigilant and adaptable as they manage the changing weather conditions during this hectic holiday week, relying on forecasters and weather experts for useful assistance and updates.
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