The National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC has issued a clear warning: brace for the cold, Baltimore because winter is ramping up its game. Following intense high pressure briefly giving us a respite, a "strong low pressure system" is gearing up to bring a cocktail of wintry weather beginning late Sunday into Monday, according to a forecast discussion by the National Weather Service.
The near-term forecast isn't particularly rosy either. The main spectacle for today is an amalgamation of dwindling upslope snows and gusty winds, knocking visibility down a peg and toying with the snow already on the ground. A "Cold Weather Advisory also remains in effect for the high peaks due to wind chills less than -10," as the National Weather Service reported. This affects not only the peaks but also the mind. Wind chills throughout the area will feel like a jaunt through a freezer with 'real feel' temperatures dipping into the teens and 20s.
Moving into the short term, from Sunday to Monday night, all eyes are on that potent low-pressure system schlepping in from the Mid-Mississippi Valley. It's projected to swathe the area in wintry precipitation, translating to a hearty mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Depending on your precise coordinates in and around Baltimore, you could look at snowfall totals in the 8-12 inches range — a potential for a "heavy frontogenetic snow band" that could set up shop anywhere in the forecast area. Such uncertainty has led the National Weather Service to issue a Winter Storm Watch from Sunday evening through late Monday night.
And for those who humor the thought that Tuesday brings reprieve, think again. The long-term forecast has lingering low-level moisture tailing the fierce low-pressure system, trading heavy snow for persisting light upslope snow showers along the Allegheny Front. As the week continues, expect the biting gusts of the northwest winds to persist, with wind chills potentially plunging into the negative teens out west. The Weather Service warns that cold weather advisories or extreme cold warnings may be needed to address these temperatures throughout the week.
For travelers and mariners, note that VFR conditions are expected to prevail into the weekend, with advisory-level winds easing off ahead of the approaching storm. The forthcoming winter weather, however, promises to make its presence known from Sunday evening onward, with the National Weather Service predicting wintry precipitation engulfing the area and snow could be heavy at times. As for the waters, the Gale Warning may have expired, but advisories remain firmly in place for most marine areas, with further advisories and gale force winds likely as the weekend draws to a close.
Residents are also advised to pay mind to the tides, as these robust northwesterly winds are leading to "blowout tides," especially for those on the western shores of the Chesapeake Bay and the Tidal Potomac River. Today's coastal impact is expected to be significant, with waters potentially receding 1 to 1.5 feet below the norm. Stay tuned to official updates for the latest advisories, and stay warm, Marylanders — winter isn't pulling its punches.
