As the city grapples with the seasonal chill, Baltimore braces for a spell of wintry weather. According to the National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC, dominant high pressure near New England is poised to team up with weak low pressure moving toward the Great Lakes, setting the stage for a complex weather pattern through early next week. It’s a time for residents to stay alert, as changes in the skies could translate to a medley of snowy and icy conditions.
Despite the quietude of today's skies, with temperatures stuck in the mid-30s to lower 40s, a cold air damming pressure pattern is budding to our east. However, reveling in a brief spell of sub-freezing nighttime peace, temperatures are predicted to dive into the mid to upper 20s tonight. While sunlight may peek through before the clouds regather, according to the National Weather Service, there's some uncertainty about what happens with the two lower-level cloud decks (N MD and central VA).
The prospects of a wintry mix precipitating disruption bloom beginning Sunday. Precipitation, stubbornly clinging to areas west of the Blue Ridge during the morning, threatens to lay down a blanket of sleet or snow before a likely transition to freezing rain. The National Weather Service stated, “Due to the strength of the high replenishing cold surface air, locations along the eastern slopes of the Allegheny Front could see around a quarter inch of ice.” A Winter Storm Watch has been issued, amplifying the urgency for vigilance among those in its wake.
By Monday, a lingering cold air damming pattern may cast doubts on the temperatures climbing as high as some models suggest. However, winds could gust over 40 mph in the highest ridges as the next strong system moves in from the north. Essentially untroubled by frozen impediments, rain is expected to assert itself across the region.
Tuesday heaves a sigh of relief upon the city's weather-beaten brow, offering a momentary lapse of sunshine before another wave of precipitation arrives late Wednesday into Thursday. A specular bout of northwest flow could stir up snow showers in the wake of this system. By the weekend, an Alberta Clipper-type system is slated to sweep through, with colder temperatures in its draft – per the National Weather Service forecast, “Highs Thursday in the upper 20s to 30s in the mtns with 40s elsewhere” and Saturday seeing the week’s nadir, as the mercury fails to break the threshold of the 30s.
For Baltimore’s mariners, the waters echo the skies’ sentiment. A Small Craft Advisory echoes until 10 AM for mid-bay mariners, with an advisory possibly re-emerging this evening. Despite the ebb in wind speed later tonight, marines should prepare their vessels for more vigorous conditions come Monday night.
In sum, Baltimoreans would be well-advised to unpack their winter gear, keep a vigilant eye on the forecast, and perhaps most importantly, cherish the transient respites of calm before the weather again turns the page.
