Good morning, Maryland. Per NWS Baltimore/Washington (3:34 AM) and NWS Mount Holly (3:22 AM), today is the pick of the week — high pressure noses in from the north, wringing the humidity out of the air and leaving us with a genuinely pleasant, mostly dry Saturday. Enjoy it, because it’s the calm before late-summer heat reasserts itself Sunday and really digs in next week.
Timing at a Glance
- Early morning: Patchy fog lingering in valleys and along the Eastern Shore, plus a lingering Small Craft Advisory on the bay/coastal waters until 9 AM from a northerly wind surge.
- Midday–afternoon: Sunshine takes over almost everywhere. An isolated shower or two can’t be ruled out right along the Allegheny Mountains in Garrett County, but the vast majority of the state stays bone dry.
- Evening: Skies clear out further, temperatures drop comfortably, and it turns into a lovely, low-humidity night for porches, ballgames, and stargazing.
- Overnight: Patchy fog possible again in spots as winds go light, especially west of I-81 and toward the Shore.
Western Maryland
Garrett County (Deep Creek / Oakland): High near 78° — comfortable, almost autumn-like at elevation. Morning areas of fog burn off, then isolated rain showers are possible (20%) mainly toward the Alleghenies as an inverted surface trough noses through. Winds light out of the southeast. Overnight lows dip to near 61°.
Allegany County (Cumberland): High near 84° under sunny skies once patchy morning fog clears. Just a stray 10% chance of a shower, otherwise dry. Light easterly winds. Overnight low near 63° under mostly clear skies — a fine sleeping-with-the-windows-open night.
Northern & Central Maryland
Washington County (Hagerstown): Sunny and dry, high near 84°, light northeast wind. Low humidity makes it feel every bit as nice as it sounds. Clear tonight, low near 66°.
Frederick County: Sunny, high near 83°, breezy out of the northeast at times. Mostly clear tonight with a low near 66° — great sleeping weather.
Carroll County: Same story as Frederick — sunny, high near 83°, calm winds, clear and comfortable overnight near 66°.
Baltimore Metro
Baltimore City & County: Sunny skies, high near 83°, easterly wind around 6 mph keeping things fresh. Dry all day. Mostly clear tonight, low near 68°.
Harford County: Same regional pattern — sunny, low-to-mid 80s (near 83°), dry, comfortable evening with a low near 68°.
Howard County: Sunny, high near 83°, dry with light easterly flow. Clear and pleasant overnight, low near 68°.
Anne Arundel County: Sunny and dry, high near 83°, a touch of an onshore breeze off the bay. Low near 68° overnight under mostly clear skies.
DC Suburbs
Montgomery County: Mostly sunny, high near 84°, easterly winds around 6 mph. Comfortable and dry. Mostly clear tonight, low near 66°.
Prince George’s County: Same setup — mostly sunny, high near 84°, dry all day, low near 66° overnight.
Southern Maryland
Charles County: Partly sunny, high near 81°, northeast winds 5-8 mph. Dry and comfortable. Overnight low near 67° with clearing skies.
Calvert County: Partly sunny, high near 81°, breezy northeast wind off the bay keeping it fresh. Mostly clear tonight, low near 67°.
St. Mary’s County: Same pattern — partly sunny, high near 81°, dry with a light bay breeze. Low near 67° overnight.
Upper Eastern Shore
Cecil County: Partly sunny, high near 83°, breezy northeast wind 5-10 mph. Dry today, mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 64°.
Kent County: Partly sunny, high near 83°, similar breezy northeast flow off the bay. Low near 64° overnight with some patchy fog possible toward dawn.
Queen Anne’s County: Partly sunny, high near 83°, dry with a steady onshore breeze. Overnight low near 64°, patchy fog possible late.
Talbot County: Partly sunny, high near 83°, dry. Low near 64° with patchy fog developing overnight.
Caroline County: Partly sunny, high near 83°, light northeast breeze. Low near 64° overnight, some fog possible by early Sunday.
Lower Eastern Shore
Dorchester County: Morning patchy fog gives way to partly sunny skies, high near 84°. Dry all day with a light northeast wind. Partly cloudy tonight, low near 65°.
Wicomico County (Salisbury): Patchy morning fog, then partly sunny, high near 84°. Dry and comfortable, low near 65° tonight.
Somerset County: Same setup — patchy fog early, partly sunny afternoon, high near 84°, low near 65° overnight.
Ocean City & the Coast
Worcester County / Ocean City: A cooler beach day — partly sunny with a high only near 77°, and a brisk northeast wind of 8 to 15 mph keeping the boardwalk breezy. Surf runs 2 to 3 feet with a Moderate Rip Current Risk in effect from 8 AM through this evening — swim near a lifeguard and respect the flags. Water temps sit in the upper 70s, UV index is high, so reapply sunscreen. High tide at the Ocean City Fishing Pier is 8:55 AM, low tide 3:03 PM. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 69°.
Active Hazards
Small Craft Advisory — in effect until 9 AM EDT this morning for Maryland tidal waters (MDZ008) and the corresponding Chesapeake Bay/coastal marine zones, due to a northerly wind surge producing choppy conditions. Boaters on the upper bay should use caution through mid-morning.
Moderate Rip Current Risk — in effect from 8 AM through this evening for Maryland’s Atlantic beaches (Ocean City and Assateague). Swimmers should stick close to lifeguarded areas.
Otherwise, per the NWS Baltimore/Washington Hazardous Weather Outlook (5:10 AM), no other hazardous weather is expected today across the I-95 corridor, central Maryland, or the DC metro. A genuinely quiet day.
Severe & Flooding
None expected today. The only rain chance in the state is an isolated 20% shower risk over Garrett County’s higher terrain this afternoon — nothing organized, no severe threat. Sunday brings a slight uptick (20% statewide) for isolated afternoon thunderstorms as a shortwave trough moves through ahead of returning heat, but confidence in any one spot getting wet remains low.
Heat, Humidity & Winds
Today is the standout: noticeably lower humidity thanks to a northwest wind component behind the retreating front, with highs generally in the upper 70s to mid 80s statewide — genuinely comfortable for late August. Winds run light, mostly northeast to east at 5-10 mph, gustier at the coast (8-15 mph in Ocean City). Sunday flips the pattern: southerly flow returns, humidity climbs back, and highs jump into the upper 80s to near 90 inland. From there, the AFD is blunt about it — a strong ridge builds in and highs push into the low-to-mid 90s for much of next week, with heat index values possibly approaching (but more likely staying just under) Heat Advisory criteria. Worth watching closely as we head toward midweek.
Chesapeake Bay & Marine
Small Craft Advisory conditions wrap up by 9 AM this morning as the northerly surge relaxes. Bay waters should be more settled through the afternoon and evening. Watch for another round of southerly channeling bringing SCA-criteria gusts back Sunday night into early Monday morning — a good one to keep on the radar if you’ve got weekend plans on the water.
Tonight’s Lows by Zone
| Western Mountains (Garrett) | ~61° |
| Cumberland / Hagerstown | 63° to 66° |
| Frederick / Carroll | ~66° |
| Baltimore / DC corridor | 66° to 68° |
| Southern Maryland | ~67° |
| Eastern Shore | 64° to 65° |
| Ocean City | ~69° |
Looking Ahead
Sunday: Warmer and more humid, highs generally upper 80s to near 90 inland (89-91° in central Maryland, DC suburbs) and cooler at the coast (near 81° in Ocean City). Isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms are possible almost anywhere (around 20% chance) as a shortwave passes through — nothing widespread, but keep half an eye on the sky if you’ve got outdoor plans.
Monday: The ridge takes over — highs climb into the upper 80s to low 90s across most of the state (90-91° Baltimore/DC corridor and Hagerstown/Frederick), staying a bit cooler at the shore (mid 80s). This kicks off what looks like a genuinely hot stretch through midweek, with lower-to-mid 90s likely and daily thunderstorm chances returning as disturbances ride around the ridge. We’ll keep tracking the heat and any severe potential as details firm up.
Data: NWS Baltimore/Washington, Mount Holly & Wakefield.
MD Weather Alerts — your county-by-county guide to Maryland’s sky. Enjoy the break today; the heat’s coming back for round two.