Cold weather will stick around Maryland on Thanksgiving and through Saturday.
A round of gusty winds will add to the winter-like feel through Black Friday, dropping wind-chills to the low 20s by early Friday.
The Baltimore area may see some winter weather on Sunday.
Cold weather for Thanksgiving, Baltimore Ravens game
Gusty, cold winds will continue on Thanksgiving Day. These cold winds will be the big story if you are out and about.
The strong cold front that crossed the area Wednesday evening delivered us a winter-like airmass overnight with much colder temperatures and blustery winds. High temperatures on Thanksgiving Day will only top out in the mid-40s, but when you factor in gusty winds, wind-chills will be stuck in the 30s most of the day.
Any early sunshine will likely quickly disappear by midday. A canopy of clouds will quickly mute any early morning sunshine. Winds will be out of the west to northwest at 10 to 20 mph with gusts reaching 20 to 30 mph throughout the day.
The Baltimore Ravens game this evening will feature January-like cold. The 8:20 p.m. kick-off temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s with a partly cloudy sky. Winds will still be blustery during the start of the game, west at 5 to 15 mph with gusts to 20 mph. As the game wears on, any patchy clouds will exit, and temperatures will continue to turn colder with a 4th quarter temperature near 32°. Thankfully winds will also begin to ease by halftime through the rest of the game.
If you’re headed to the game, make sure to dress similarly to a January playoff game with hats, gloves, and a few layers underneath a winter jacket.
Bitter cold Black Friday for Maryland shoppers
The coldest feel of the upcoming airmass will impact the area Friday into Friday night. During this time, temperatures will drop into the 30s with increasing winds. By early Friday morning, wind-chills will be stinging cold in the lower 20s, so if you’re out and about for any early shopping, you’ll need to bundle up and take breaks inside.
Friday’s winds will also be stronger than Thanksgiving. Winds will be out of the northwest 10-25 mph with gusts 30 to 35 mph. The period of strongest winds will be from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. During this time, wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph will be common. Despite a mix of sunshine and clouds, highs will only reach the lower 40s with wind-chills stuck in the lower 30s during the warmest part of the day.
Friday night will turn very cold with starlit skies and lows sinking into the lower to middle 20s. Thankfully, winds will be stepping down as well toward sunrise Saturday.
Saturday will still feature plenty of cold air, but skies will be clear and winds will be gentle in comparison to Friday. This will mean Saturday is the pick of the weekend if you or your friends and family need to travel.
Plan on dry roads, clear skies, and cold temperatures. Highs Saturday afternoon will top out in the lower to middle 40s.
Light wintry mix, showers develop Sunday
Clouds will quickly thicken across Maryland Sunday morning ahead of the next area of low pressure. Sunday morning will be the best time to travel across the state, especially for the central and eastern parts of Maryland. A light wintry mix will develop across western Maryland Sunday morning and arrive in the Baltimore metro by midday Sunday into Sunday afternoon.
Any light wintry mix would come in the form of a few wet snowflakes and/or sleet pellets by midday Sunday. Temperatures will be above freezing, so roadways should remain wet. Any mixing should be brief and focused mainly north and west of Baltimore City. Any brief mixing should turn quickly transition over to showers. This will cause slower-than-normal commuting, especially with all of the extra holiday traffic. This is why the WJZ First Alert Weather Team has tagged Sunday as a possible First Alert Weather Day. Showers will continue into Sunday evening before tapering off before sunrise Monday. Rainfall totals should remain light between 0.10″ and 0.25″.
More winter weather in Maryland Tuesday
Monday looks partly to mostly cloudy and quiet for back to work and school. Highs will top out in the lower to middle 50s with light winds.
The next storm the WJZ First Alert Weather Team is closely watching arrives late Monday night into Tuesday morning. As of now, this storm appears to have a greater potential of delivering winter weather to parts of the region in the form of snow, sleet, and ice. The track and strength of the storm will determine how much of the area receives winter weather, along with how much potential snow and/or ice. As of now, areas north and west of Baltimore City have the greatest chance for winter weather, but the entire area has a least some chance of seeing some snow and ice Tuesday. There are also indications that the wintry mix may eventually change over to rain, even in our colder suburbs north and west of Baltimore.
While there is a great deal of uncertainty about this storm’s specific track and strength, along with possible impacts, the threat is great enough that the WJZ First Alert Weather Team has tagged Tuesday as a possible First Alert Weather Day. Please check back with our team through the holiday weekend as details about the storm and its possible impacts become clearer.
