Rain Clears, Then a Hard Freeze Tonight Across Much of Maryland

Good morning. That blustery cold front NWS Baltimore/Washington (3:51 AM) and NWS Mount Holly (3:16 AM) have been tracking all night is sliding out from under us this morning, leaving behind lingering showers east of I-95, a gusty north wind, and — the real headline — a hard freeze setting up for tonight. Grab the garden hoses and bring in the basil; this is the one.

Today’s Timeline

• 6–10 AM: Lingering shower activity continues east of I-95 — Baltimore metro, Southern Maryland, both Shores. Western and Central Maryland are mostly done with rain by now, just gusty and cool.
• 10 AM–2 PM: Showers gradually taper west to east through the late morning into early afternoon; skies begin clearing from the west. Winds stay gusty, especially near the Bay and coast.
• 2–6 PM: Clearing spreads across the whole state. Sunshine returns for the afternoon almost everywhere, though the Lower Shore and Ocean City may hang onto clouds and spotty light rain into early evening.
• Evening into overnight: Winds diminish, skies go clear, and temperatures fall fast under a dry, starry sky — textbook radiational cooling setup for a freeze/frost night.

Western Maryland

Garrett County (Deep Creek / Oakland): A few lingering rain showers early, then partly sunny skies by afternoon. High near 46° (low-to-mid 40s), with a brisk north wind 8–12 mph. Tonight is the big story — clear skies and calm wind drop lows to around 27°, a widespread frost/freeze setup across the high country. If you haven’t covered the mums yet, now’s the time.

Allegany County (Cumberland): Mostly sunny after some early cloud cover, high near 55°. North wind around 13 mph keeps it feeling brisk. Clear tonight with lows near 31°, widespread frost developing by early Sunday morning.

Northern & Central Maryland

Washington County (Hagerstown): Mostly sunny, high near 54° with north wind 13–16 mph, gusty at times. Any lingering shower chance is minimal (12%). Clear tonight, dropping to around 32° — a Freeze Warning is in effect here.

Frederick County: A slight chance of lingering morning showers, then partly sunny, high near 55°. Breezy with north winds 12–15 mph. Clear tonight with lows near 33° — Freeze Warning in effect.

Carroll County: Same story as Frederick — slight shower chance early, clearing, high around 55°. Lows tonight near 33° under a Freeze Warning.

Baltimore Metro

Baltimore City & County: Rain showers likely through the morning (55% chance), tapering to partly sunny by afternoon. High near 56°, north wind around 15 mph. Clearing and mild-cool tonight — northern Baltimore County falls into the Freeze Warning zone with lows near 40° in the city but colder away from downtown.

Harford County: Similar — showers likely early, clearing by afternoon, high near 56°. Northwest Harford is under the Freeze Warning tonight as temperatures drop into the upper 30s to near 40°.

Howard County: Chance of rain showers this morning (around 44-46%), then partly sunny. High near 54-56°. Northwest Howard gets a Frost Advisory tonight as temps dip into the mid-to-upper 30s.

Anne Arundel County: Showers likely in the morning, drying out by afternoon. High near 56°, breezy north winds. Mostly clear tonight with lows near 40-41°, a touch milder near the Bay.

DC Suburbs

Montgomery County: Chance of showers this morning (around 44-46%), then partly sunny this afternoon. High near 54°. Clearing tonight with lows in the mid-30s — Northwest Montgomery is under a Frost Advisory.

Prince George’s County: Same pattern — morning showers, afternoon clearing, high near 54°. Lows tonight near 35°, areas of frost possible by early Sunday.

Southern Maryland

Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties: Rain showers likely through the morning and into early afternoon (around 64% at Prince Frederick), then mostly cloudy skies clearing out. High near 56°, breezy north wind around 17 mph. Lows tonight near 41° — mild relative to points north and west, no freeze concern here, just a chilly, clear night.

Upper Eastern Shore

Cecil County: Rain likely this morning, breezy north winds, high in the mid-50s. Cecil sits within the expanded Freeze Warning zone tonight (northeast Maryland) with lows dropping into the upper 30s.

Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Caroline Counties: Rain showers likely most of the day — the Easton gridpoint shows a healthy 73% chance, lingering longer here than points west. High near 55°, north wind around 15 mph. Clearing tonight with lows near 37°, patchy frost possible by Sunday morning.

Lower Eastern Shore

Dorchester, Wicomico, and Somerset Counties: Light rain likely essentially all day (76% chance at Salisbury), with north winds 14-17 mph keeping it raw and breezy. High only near 54°. Rain tapers to partly cloudy by evening, with lows near 39° overnight.

Ocean City & the Coast

Worcester County / Ocean City: The windiest, wettest corner of the state today — light rain likely (82% chance) with north winds 21-25 mph, gusts higher. High near 57°. Seas building, surf running 3-5 feet with a High Rip Current Risk and High Surf Advisory in effect. A Coastal Flood Watch has also been posted for the Maryland beaches and inland Worcester County as persistent onshore flow and building surf raise concerns for minor tidal flooding, especially around high tide cycles this weekend into next week. Rain tapers to partly cloudy overnight with lows near 48° — the mildest spot on the map thanks to the onshore wind. Beachgoers: skip the swim today, the rip current risk is real.

Active Hazards — Full List

• Freeze Warning (1 AM–8 AM Sunday): Washington, Frederick, Carroll, Northern Baltimore, Extreme Western Allegany, Central & Eastern Allegany, Northwest Harford, Western & Eastern Garrett counties. Temperatures as low as the upper 20s to low 30s will kill unprotected vegetation — bring in or cover tender plants.
• Frost Advisory (1 AM–8 AM Sunday): Northwest Montgomery and Northwest Howard counties. Patchy frost can damage sensitive plants; cover them if possible.
• High Surf Advisory: Maryland beaches (Ocean City/Assateague). Breaking waves 3-5 feet.
• Coastal Flood Watch: Maryland beaches and inland Worcester County — a long-duration coastal flood concern building through the weekend into early next week as onshore winds persist.
• Small Craft Advisory: Chesapeake Bay waters until 6 AM Sunday (and in some southern zones until 11 PM tonight), for gusty northwest winds and choppy seas.
• Gale Warning: Portions of the lower Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters, in effect this morning through 6 AM Sunday, for winds gusting well above small craft thresholds.

Severe & Flooding

No severe weather is expected today — this is a cold, breezy, showery pattern, not a thunderstorm setup. The flooding concern is strictly coastal: persistent onshore winds around the departing low and a building nor’easter offshore next week will push water into the back bays of Worcester County, prompting the Coastal Flood Watch there. Inland flooding is not a concern.

Winds & Marine

Gusty north-to-northwest winds 13-25 mph are the rule today, strongest near the coast and open Bay waters (Ocean City seeing gusts well above 25 mph at times). Winds diminish tonight as high pressure builds in, setting the stage for that sharp overnight cooldown. On the water, Small Craft Advisories and a Gale Warning are in force for parts of the Bay and coastal waters — if you’re a boater, this is a stay-in-port day.

Overnight Lows by Zone

Zone	Low Tonight
Western Mountains (Garrett)	Around 27° — hard freeze
Cumberland/Hagerstown	Low 30s — freeze
Frederick/Carroll	Low-to-mid 30s — freeze
Baltimore/DC corridor	Mid-to-upper 30s to near 40°, frost north/west
Southern Maryland	Around 41°
Eastern Shore	Upper 30s to around 39°
Ocean City	Around 48° — mildest spot

Looking Ahead

Sunday: A beautiful but chilly day statewide — sunny skies and highs mostly in the upper 50s to around 60°. Another frost/freeze risk returns Sunday night, mainly west of the Blue Ridge and across the mountains, with lows back into the 30s (upper 20s in Garrett’s valleys). Monday onward: A nor’easter is expected to develop off the Carolina coast and meander offshore through much of next week. Confidence on its exact track is low, but areas along and east of I-95 have the best shot at daily shower chances, breezy northeast winds, and possibly renewed coastal flooding concerns. We’ll keep tracking it.

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Data: NWS Baltimore/Washington, Mount Holly & Wakefield.
MD Weather Alerts — covering the whole state, from Deep Creek to the Ocean City boardwalk. Stay warm out there tonight.