As the summer heat continues to intensify in Baltimore, the National Weather Service (NWS) has forecasted more sweltering temperatures, with the mercury expected to reach the upper 80s and low 90s today. According to the NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC weather discussion, morning high clouds will give way to afternoon storms fueled by daytime heating. Residents should be vigilant as the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed most of the area under a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms due to an unstable mix of high dewpoints and limited wind shear.
For those with outdoor plans, the weather could throw a wrench into the plans, with the highest storm activity projected over the northwestern part of the region. In advance of an upper trough from the Western Great Lakes, storms are primed to ignite by mid-afternoon, particularly along bay and river breezes. Expected to produce very heavy rainfall, these thunderstorms carry a threat of isolated flash flooding, especially around Baltimore, as indicated by the Weather Prediction Center (WPC), which also notes a Marginal Risk for excessive rainfall.
Moving into Tuesday and Wednesday, it doesn't seem like there'll be much respite from the volatile weather. The National Weather Service forecasts numerous afternoon thunderstorms as a cold front approaches, which could trigger potentially damaging winds and a heightened risk of flooding due to storms that may exhibit some training. While storms might exhibit their ballet, zipping along quite speedily, regions east of the Blue Ridge could see escalated threat levels.
On the upside, pilots can generally expect good visibility with prevailing VFR conditions, except during brief periods of stormy weather, according to the aviation weather outlook. Marinas and those planning to sail should be wary - the NWS has issued a Small Craft Advisory from this evening into the early hours of tomorrow for certain zones. As thunderstorms bear down on the city in the following days, these conditions are expected to persist, though calmer waters should follow the front's passage.
Providing some semblance of tranquility after the storms pass, Baltimore looks forward to a streak of dry and seasonal weather from Thursday into the weekend. But even as the city catches a break with mid-80s highs, mariners again take note: light northwest winds will prevail, free from previous turmoil, and whispering across the bay with untroubled reassurance.
