As the sun gears up to warm the faces of Baltimore residents today, a high-pressure system is taking a front-row seat overhead. However, keep your rain boots handy because the NWS Baltimore has dished out a forecast hinting at a weak cold front rolling through on Friday. But fret not, as the weather gurus promise the high pressure will make a comeback over the weekend. This seesaw is set to pitch a much stronger cold front our way come Monday. National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC serves this scoop, advising locals to relish in the intermittent sunny skies, especially for those west of the Blue Ridge.
For the early birds waking up to maraud through patchy fog, this is a temporary cloak that the day's warmth is set to dissipate. The current table setting of high temperatures is cozying up in the 70s for most folks, while the evening promises a blanket of upper 50s to lower 60s. But don't only rely on these temperatures; the weekend may drop a couple of degrees courtesy of northern wind, says the NWS, so dressing in layers might be the move. NWS observations also note a stratus deck playing hide and seek to the east of the Blue Ridge, blessing a few areas like Shenandoah with clear skies as the sun clocks in for its shift.
It's a mixed bag of visibilities on the aviation front, mostly leaning towards the clearer end of the spectrum later today. Morning fog and some stubborn low clouds are reluctant to clear the runways but expect gradual improvement as the day marches on. However, the NWS points to potential turbulence with afternoon showers and a few rumbles of thunder playing tag with the thermal currents near the I-81 corridor to the Blue Ridge spine. This weather dance should wane as the daylight does, leaving behind a trail of welcome VFR conditions and a breath of light northerly winds come Saturday.
For those with sea legs, the marine forecast looks to stay below Small Craft Advisory levels through to Saturday, floating on winds from differing directions each day. However, this calm before the storm might rock the boat some with a potential approach to the Small Craft Advisory criteria on Sunday night as the winds decide to strengthen from the south. As we head into Monday, the NWS anticipates a possible spike in wind gusts, signaling boaters to be on alert. Meanwhile, coastal dwellers have a Coastal Flood Advisory to watch until at least Friday noon in DC, with Maryland and Virginia sections also watching water levels that refuse to bow down.
