Calm, Mild Friday Before Isaias’ Remnants Arrive This Weekend

Good morning, Maryland. Today’s the easy one — NWS Baltimore/Washington (issued 3:55 AM) and NWS Mount Holly (4:10 AM) both describe a tranquil, mild, mostly sunny Friday with building high-level cirrus but no rain to speak of. Enjoy it, because the whole conversation this week is really about Sunday, when what’s left of Hurricane Isaias — now an unwinding tropical system merging with an upper-level cutoff low — pushes rain, wind, and even some coastal flooding concern into the state. Today and Saturday are the calm before that.

Timing at a Glance

• Today (Fri): Sunshine mixing with increasing high cirrus clouds streaming up from the tropics. Dry all day statewide. Light winds, generally west to northwest.
• Tonight: Clear to partly/mostly cloudy, calm, comfortably cool. Still dry.
• Saturday: Mostly cloudy as moisture builds aloft. Winds shift onshore/easterly, especially near the Bay and coast. Still essentially dry during the day — first showers may sneak into the mountains and far south late Saturday evening.
• Saturday night: Rain fills in from south to north as the remnants of Isaias approach. This is when the wet pattern truly begins.
• Sunday: Periods of rain, likely heavy at times, plus breezy-to-windy conditions as the broad circulation and a developing coastal wave interact. Thunder can’t be ruled out Sunday night, especially south and east.

Western Maryland

Garrett County (Deep Creek / Oakland): A crisp, mostly sunny day with a high near 65° and light west winds 2-6 mph. Clear mountain air for leaf-peepers. Tonight drops to around 47° under increasing clouds. Saturday stays dry with a high near 64°, but Saturday night the rain arrives first here — showers moving in with a low around 51° and a soggy, breezy setup building toward Sunday.

Allegany County (Cumberland): Sunny and mild, high around 73° with light northwest winds. Clear, cool night near 49°. Saturday holds dry (high 71°) under a building cloud deck, then rain showers arrive Saturday night (low 55°) ahead of a wet, breezy Sunday near 65° with rain likely continuing into Sunday night.

Northern & Central Maryland

Washington County (Hagerstown): Mostly sunny, high near 73°, light westerly winds 0-7 mph — about as nice an early-October day as you’ll get. Overnight lows near 46-50°. Saturday mostly cloudy but dry, high 73°, before rain showers move in Saturday night (low near 58°) and continue into a wet, breezy Sunday near 67°.

Frederick & Carroll Counties: Sunny skies, high near 74°, calm winds. A cool, clear night near 49-52°. Saturday stays dry (high 72°) with clouds thickening through the day, then rain arrives Saturday night (low 59°) and lingers into Sunday, high around 68°.

Baltimore Metro

Baltimore City & County, Harford, Howard, Anne Arundel: Partly sunny and pleasant, high near 76°, light west winds. Clear, mild night around 51-55°. Saturday turns mostly cloudy but remains dry through the day (high 73°), with rain showers developing Saturday night (low near 61°) as easterly winds pick up to 6-9 mph. Sunday brings widespread rain, breezy east winds 10-15 mph, and a high near 70°.

DC Suburbs

Montgomery & Prince George’s Counties: Partly sunny, high around 71-73°, breezy only in the lightest sense (2-7 mph). Clear-to-cloudy night near 50-54°. Saturday mostly cloudy and dry, high 71°, with rain filling in Saturday night (low 60°) and continuing Sunday with a high around 67° and winds gusting out of the east near 13 mph.

Southern Maryland

Charles, Calvert, St. Mary’s Counties: Partly sunny and warm for the season, high near 74°, light northwest winds. Mild night around 56°. Saturday mostly cloudy but dry, high 71°, before rain develops Saturday night (low 61°) with easterly winds 7-12 mph. Sunday is wet and breezy, high near 70°, with showers and even a few thunderstorms possible Sunday night as the system passes, low around 64°.

Upper Eastern Shore

Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Caroline Counties: Partly sunny with a breezier northwest wind (5-10 mph), high near 74°. Clear, cool night near 52-53°. Saturday mostly cloudy, dry, high 73°, with winds turning easterly 5-10 mph ahead of rain arriving Saturday night (low 61°, rain likely). Sunday is a washout with widespread rain, high around 71°, and winds gusting 10-15 mph out of the east.

Lower Eastern Shore

Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset Counties: Partly sunny, high near 75°, light winds. Comfortable night near 52-55°. Saturday mostly cloudy, dry, high 72°, with rain building in Saturday night (low 63°) as easterly winds increase to 7-13 mph. Sunday turns wet with steadier rain, high around 72°, winds southeast near 14 mph.

Ocean City & the Coast

Worcester County: Partly sunny today, high near 71° with northeast winds around 7 mph — pleasant beach weather. Clear, mild night around 61°. Saturday turns mostly cloudy with a cooler high in the upper 60s as easterly winds pick up to 6-13 mph. Rain arrives Saturday night (low 64°) and Sunday brings a much more serious coastal setup: rain, a high near 71°, and winds howling out of the southeast at 21-24 mph.

Surf & Beach Details (per NWS Wakefield): Today — surf 1-2 feet, rip current risk LOW, water temp lower 70s, UV Moderate. High tide at the Ocean City Fishing Pier 7:01 AM, low tide 1:22 PM. Saturday — surf still 1-2 feet, rip risk LOW, mostly cloudy, high near upper 60s; high tide 7:44 AM, low tide 2:07 PM. Sunday — surf builds sharply to 4-7 feet as the Isaias remnants pass offshore, with cloudy, rainy, breezy conditions (southeast winds around 25 mph) — expect rough surf and a much higher rip current threat by then even though today’s numbers are tame.

Active Hazards

There are no active watches, warnings, or advisories anywhere in Maryland as of this morning’s issuance. Today’s Hazardous Weather Outlook from NWS Baltimore/Washington confirms no hazardous weather is expected today or tonight. That said, forecasters are watching the weekend closely — no Flood Watch has been issued yet, as confidence in exact rainfall placement is still building more than 48 hours out, but that could change as Sunday’s system comes into clearer focus. Minor coastal flooding is considered likely at sensitive tidal locations Sunday evening as onshore winds combine with a new-moon high astronomical tide.

Severe & Flooding

No severe weather or flooding is expected today or Saturday. The focus shifts to Sunday, when the broad remnant circulation of Isaias merges with an upper-level cutoff low diving through the Mid-Atlantic. Periods of rain are likely Saturday evening through Sunday night, with 1-2 inches of rain expected area-wide and higher totals possible depending on how smaller-scale features like orographic enhancement along the Blue Ridge and a possible inverted trough across the Delmarva play out. A few thunderstorms may accompany the heavier rain Sunday into Sunday night, especially across southern Maryland. Confidence in the general pattern is good; confidence in exact rainfall placement and totals remains lower, and forecasters say the picture should sharpen over the next couple of days.

Winds & Chesapeake Bay / Marine

Winds stay light today and Saturday, generally under 10 mph. They’ll noticeably increase Saturday evening into Sunday as the Isaias remnants approach, with peak gusts forecast at 30-40 mph in the Alleghenies and 20-30 mph elsewhere Sunday. On the water, favorable marine conditions hold through Saturday afternoon, then Small Craft Advisory-type conditions become likely across all Maryland tidal waters and the Bay Saturday evening into Sunday as easterly flow builds — gusts around 30 knots are likely on the Bay and coastal waters Sunday. Conditions improve Monday.

Overnight Lows by Zone

Looking Ahead

Saturday stays dry statewide for most of the day under building clouds, with the first rain sneaking into the mountains and far south late in the evening. Sunday is the headline: widespread rain, breezy-to-windy conditions, and a few thunderstorms possible, especially south and east, as the remnants of Isaias interact with a cutoff low and a developing coastal wave. Minor coastal flooding is possible Sunday evening. Conditions dry out Monday morning into the afternoon as the system finally pushes offshore, with mostly mild, mainly dry weather expected for much of next week — aside from occasional mountain showers — until a stronger cold front arrives late next week with another shot of rain and cooler air behind it.