BALTIMORE -- An arctic front is set to impact the Baltimore region, leading to a significant drop in temperatures over the coming days. Following several days of cold air, temperatures are expected to fall further, with the coldest air of the season anticipated by the weekend.
Overnight temperatures tonight are projected to drop into the low to mid-20s under mostly clear skies. Elevated winds will result in wind chills in the teens by Wednesday morning.
Wednesday will see mostly cloudy skies, with high temperatures reaching the lower 40s. As the arctic front approaches late Wednesday night, gusty southwest winds exceeding 30 miles per hour will keep overnight lows slightly milder, in the upper 30s.
The front is expected to arrive around sunrise Thursday, bringing a transition from rain showers to a mix of rain and snow, or potentially all snow. Intense snowfall may occur briefly, leading to light accumulations on grassy areas, particularly north and west of Baltimore.
Following the snow showers, strong winds will dominate Thursday afternoon and evening, with gusts from the northwest possibly exceeding 40 miles per hour along the I-95 corridor. Higher elevations, such as the Catoctin Mountains, may experience gusts over 50 miles per hour.
Travelers to western Maryland should prepare for heavy snow and blowing snow, with near-blizzard conditions possible in Garrett County. Wind chills in these areas could approach or fall below zero.
Conditions will remain windy and cold through Friday, with overnight lows Thursday night expected to dip into the lower 20s. Highs on Friday will struggle to surpass the mid-to-upper 30s, with even colder temperatures anticipated Friday night, bringing lows around 20 degrees by Saturday morning.
Looking ahead to the weekend, Saturday will remain cold with highs in the upper 30s to near 40 degrees. However, a warming trend is expected, with high temperatures rebounding to near 50 degrees by Sunday. Increased cloud cover Sunday night may bring a chance of showers into Monday, with highs forecasted to reach the mid-50s, and potentially near 60 degrees by Tuesday. An active weather pattern is anticipated midweek, with several rounds of rain likely.