Baltimore Broils At 94 As Code Orange Clouds The Air

Friday, June 5, 2026, Baltimore woke up to mostly sunny skies and low 70s, the kind of morning that tricks you into thinking the day will be pleasant. By late afternoon, though, the mercury is expected to spike into the mid 90s, with a high near 94°F. Light west winds this morning will offer only brief relief, and sun-soaked neighborhoods and paved areas will crank up the heat even more. Anyone with outdoor jobs or intense workouts on the schedule should try to shift the hardest effort to earlier or later in the day.

Heat Through Saturday

The National Weather Service is calling for highs near 94°F today and again on Saturday, with Saturday looking like the peak of this early-season heat stretch. West to southwest breezes stay mostly light today but are expected to pick up on Saturday, with gusts that could reach around 23 mph in some spots.

A cold front is expected to move in late Saturday, bringing a shot at showers and thunderstorms Saturday night, mainly between about 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Any stronger storms in that window could deliver brief heavy downpours and some gusty winds, so outdoor evening plans may need a backup option.

Air Quality Alert

The Maryland Department of the Environment has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Alert (posted Thursday at 4:40 p.m.) for the Baltimore City metro and Annapolis region. Code Orange means the air may become unhealthy for sensitive groups.

If you have asthma, heart disease, COPD, are elderly, or have young children, today and Saturday are not the days to push it outside. Limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity and consider moving workouts indoors while the air quality and heat team up. Check the Maryland Department of the Environment or AirNow for current conditions and updates before heading out.

Weekend Outlook

The cold front should slip through early Sunday, trimming afternoon highs back into the upper 80s to low 90s on Sunday and into the lower to mid 80s by Monday and Tuesday. Nights turn cooler as well. Any lingering shower chances Sunday appear limited as a drier northwest flow settles in, setting up a stretch of more comfortable weather early next week for outdoor plans, evening walks, and everything that is a lot more fun when it is not 94°F.