Frost and Freeze Linger, Sunny and Chilly Statewide

Good morning. Marylanders are waking up to a hard chill this morning — plenty of lawns and windshields are wearing a coat of frost, and in the higher terrain west of the Blue Ridge, a freeze is locking things down through the morning hours. That’s the headline from both NWS Baltimore/Washington (issued 3:44 AM) and NWS Wakefield (5:53 AM): a strong dome of high pressure is settling in, which means today is dry, bright, and cool from the mountains to the coast, but a second frosty night is likely tonight before any real warm-up begins. Out along the coast, a nor’easter is lurking well offshore and will start to matter more by midweek — more on that below.

Timing at a Glance

• 6-9 AM: Coldest stretch of the morning. Freeze Warning areas (western/central MD) still below freezing in spots; frost visible well east of there too.
• 9 AM-Noon: Freeze Warning expires, sun takes over, temperatures climb steadily under clear skies.
• Midday-Afternoon: Sunny statewide, breezy near the Bay and coast, highs reached by mid-to-late afternoon.
• Evening-Overnight: Clear skies return, temperatures fall fast again — another frost/freeze setup develops toward Monday morning.

Western Maryland

Garrett County (Deep Creek / Oakland): A frosty, borderline-freezing morning behind us at sunrise with lows near 27° overnight — widespread frost, possibly a hard freeze in the usual cold pockets near Deep Creek Lake. Today turns sunny with light easterly winds, highs only near 54° (low-to-mid 50s). Tonight clear and cold again, dropping to around 34°.

Allegany County (Cumberland): Overnight low near 31° with widespread frost. Sunny today, highs around 61° (upper 50s to low 60s), light winds. Clear again tonight with lows near 38°.

Northern & Central Maryland

Washington County (Hagerstown): Areas of frost this morning with lows around 33°. A Freeze Warning covers Washington County through this morning. Sunny afternoon, highs near 61° (upper 50s to low 60s), north winds around 5 mph. Clear tonight, low near 37°.

Frederick & Carroll Counties: Areas of frost early, lows around 32°, also under the Freeze Warning through this morning. Sunny skies today, highs near 60° (upper 50s to low 60s). Clear tonight with lows around 38°.

Baltimore Metro

Baltimore City & County, Harford, Howard, Anne Arundel: A chilly but frost-free start around 41° (Northwest Howard and Northwest Baltimore are under the Freeze Warning/frost concern — check your specific neighborhood if you’re near those zones). Sunny and breezy today, north winds around 7 mph, highs near 62° (upper 50s to low 60s). Clear tonight, lows near 43°.

DC Suburbs

Montgomery & Prince George’s Counties: Lows around 38° this morning, with a Frost Advisory specifically for Northwest Montgomery. Sunny today with highs near 59° (upper 50s), northeast breeze around 7 mph. Clear tonight, lows near 41°.

Southern Maryland

Charles, Calvert, St. Mary’s Counties: A milder start near 43° thanks to Bay/river influence. Sunny and breezy today, northeast winds up to 12 mph, highs near 60°. Clear tonight, lows around 46°.

Upper Eastern Shore

Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Caroline Counties: Clear and cool this morning near 39°. Sunny and breezy today with northeast winds around 10 mph, highs near 60°. Mostly clear tonight, lows near 42°.

Lower Eastern Shore

Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset Counties: Clear start near 40°. Sunny today, breezy with northeast winds 9-14 mph, highs near 61°. Mostly clear tonight, lows near 46°.

Ocean City & the Coast

Worcester County: The windiest spot on the map this morning — northeast winds already gusting over 20 mph, mostly clear, temperatures near 49°. Sunny but blustery today with northeast winds 23 mph, high near 59°. Partly cloudy and breezy tonight, lows near 55°. Surf: rip current risk continues to run elevated with onshore flow; use caution if you’re walking the beach today. A Coastal Flood Watch is now posted for inland Worcester and the Maryland beaches as surge begins building ahead of the offshore nor’easter — details below.

Active Hazards

• Freeze Warning (through this morning): Washington, Frederick, Carroll, Northern Baltimore, Extreme Western Allegany, Central & Eastern Allegany, Northwest Harford, Western & Eastern Garrett. Protect sensitive plants; last of the growing season for many in these zones.
• Frost Advisory (through this morning): Northwest Montgomery, Northwest Howard. Light jacket and a scraper on the windshield.
• Small Craft Advisory (until 11 AM): Maryland tidal waters, including the Chesapeake Bay — northwest winds gusting around 20 knots. Boaters, give it a pass until midday.
• Coastal Flood Watch (Monday through early Wednesday): Inland Worcester County and the Maryland beaches. A developing nor’easter offshore will push tidal anomalies higher, with minor flooding possible during high tide cycles, starting as early as Sunday night at sensitive spots like Annapolis, and more notably around Ocean City by midweek.
• High Surf Advisory: Maryland beaches (Ocean City/Assateague). Elevated surf and rip current risk continue — swim near a guarded beach and heed posted flags.

Severe Weather & Flooding

No severe weather or flash flooding concerns today — this is a quiet, high-pressure-driven stretch. The one thing to watch is coastal/tidal flooding, not flash flooding: a nor’easter spinning off the Carolina coast is expected to crawl northward and linger offshore into midweek. Confidence on its exact track remains low, but minor tidal flooding is possible around Annapolis and the Bay/coastal shoreline starting as early as Sunday night, with another, more substantial round possible by Tuesday-Wednesday as the system parks itself offshore.

Heat & Humidity

Not a concern — humidity is low and temperatures sit comfortably below normal for mid-October. Think crisp fall air, not muggy.

Winds

North to northeast winds prevail statewide today, generally 5-12 mph inland but gusting near 20-25 mph along the Bay shoreline and coast. Ocean City sees the brunt of it, with sustained winds around 23 mph. Winds ease a bit tonight before building again into Monday as the offshore low strengthens its influence.

Chesapeake Bay & Marine

Small Craft Advisory in effect until 11 AM for Maryland tidal waters with northwest winds gusting around 20 knots. Elevated winds continue into early next week as the nor’easter organizes offshore, with a chance of gale-force gusts over the open, central Bay later this week — confidence is still low on that detail, but boaters should keep an eye on updated marine forecasts.

Tonight’s Lows by Zone

Zone	Low Tonight
Western Mountains (Garrett)	~34°
Cumberland/Allegany	~38°
Hagerstown/Frederick/Carroll	~37-38°
Baltimore/DC Corridor	~41-43°
Southern Maryland	~46°
Eastern Shore (Upper/Lower)	~42-46°
Ocean City	~55°

Looking Ahead

Monday: Another frosty start possible across the usual cold spots (western/central MD), but sunshine returns everywhere with highs warming a few degrees — low-to-mid 60s inland, upper 50s in the mountains, around 62° at the coast where clouds build and a slight shower chance (27%) creeps in by evening as the offshore nor’easter inches closer.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny and milder, highs climbing into the mid-to-upper 60s for most of the state. The nor’easter remains the wildcard for the coast — periods of clouds, breezy conditions, and a continued coastal flood risk are possible through midweek, while areas west of the Blue Ridge and Catoctins should stay dry thanks to downsloping winds.

Data: NWS Baltimore/Washington, Mount Holly & Wakefield.

Stay warm out there, Maryland — MDWA will have the next update as the coastal nor’easter picture sharpens up.