As Baltimore braces for another round of summer storms, the National Weather Service in Baltimore MD/Washington DC has released a forecast that's got both sunglasses and umbrellas on standby. According to the forecast discussion, the weekend is set to be drenched by showers and thunderstorms due to a warm front lifting north of the region, with a cold front following close behind on Sunday night. But before you start to mourn your beach plans, the forecast also promises a drop in humidity and dry conditions to kick off the coming week, as Canadian high pressure moves in.
The immediate forecast isn't all clouds and rain, though. Saturday morning's stalled frontal boundary is expected to slowly lift, ushering in an afternoon with temperatures comfortably in the mid-to-upper 80s. Be warned: there's a caveat. The heat index is predicted to reach between 90 and 100 degrees east of the Blue Ridge, making it feel hotter than it is. And as for thunderstorms slated for the afternoon and evening hours, some better-organized clusters may pose a threat of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, according to the National Weather Service. It's noted they have been upgraded to a Slight Risk in central VA, with a Marginal Risk elsewhere. In short, it's time to possibly dread the elements just a bit, or at least double-check that your windows are shut tight.
The NWS issued a warning for our neighbors in Central Virginia, alerting them to a Flood Watch from 2 PM to 10 PM today. This comes after signals of a potential second day of heavy rainfall in the region. But as the night wears on, the thunderous drama fades, giving way to a warm and muggy night with lows sizzling in the 70s.
Looking ahead at the start of the next week, we've got "a massive pattern change," the National Weather Service declares. A Canadian High pressure builds its muscle in from the north, and hints of residual showers in the Alleghenies on Monday are no match against what’s promised to be a primarily dry day. Lower humidity and temperatures dropping to more comfortable lows in the 60s—50s in some places—are about to make a very agreeable entrance. It seems Mother Nature might decide to briefly lower the thermostat before letting heat and humidity surge back later in the week.
As for any flyers out there, the weather might try to disrupt your track through the clouds. Saturday's "difficult aviation forecast" includes widespread low clouds with potential impacts from low visibility, mainly affecting CHO, MRB, and possibly IAD. However, by noon, the fog should lift, leaving behind VFR conditions in its wake. Mariners aren't getting off easy, either, with the National Weather Service advising caution for possible thunderstorms striking, "a threat to mariners due to strong wind gusts and lightning strikes."
Closing out the week, Baltimoreans can expect Tuesday's calm, with temperatures coasting in the upper 70s and low to mid-80s, to be but a prelude to a heated encore. As high pressure makes an exit stage right off the New England coast, warm southeasterly currents drift back into play, and we're sailing back toward 90-degree days, escalating up to the sizzling low to mid-90s by week's end. To cap it all off, a slow-moving cold front and its entourage of storms loom large for the approaching weekend.
