Summer’s Last Gasp Before a Seasonable Halloween — Friday, Oct. 30, 2026

Good morning. One more unseasonably warm day is on tap before Maryland settles into a proper, crisp Halloween weekend. NWS Baltimore/Washington (issued 2:32 AM) and NWS Mount Holly (4:04 AM) both describe a weak, dry cold front sliding through this morning into midday, with little more than a stray sprinkle on the highest Garrett County ridges. Behind it, downsloping winds will actually push temperatures UP this afternoon — a classic Maryland quirk — before cooler, more seasonable air settles in for trick-or-treating Saturday. NWS Wakefield notes patchy, locally dense fog early this morning across far southern Maryland’s fringes, clearing by mid-morning.

Timing: Today’s Timeline

• 5–9 AM: Patchy fog possible in spots across southern Maryland; otherwise mild start with light winds.
• 9 AM–Noon: A weak, dry cold front crosses the state west to east. Only impact: a spotty sprinkle possible on the Garrett County high ridges. No rain expected elsewhere.
• Midday–Afternoon: Skies stay mostly sunny statewide; winds shift northwest and increase, gusting 20–25 mph, strongest near the Bay, the ridges, and the coast. Downsloping warms the I-95 corridor and points south toward the upper 70s, even flirting with 80° south of DC.
• Evening/Tonight: Winds ease, skies clear out, and temperatures drop quickly under a dry airmass — a chilly start to Halloween weekend.

Region by Region

Western Maryland

Garrett County (Deep Creek/Oakland): High near 62° — patchy drizzle early, then mostly sunny. Winds W 6–12 mph. Overnight low near 34°, partly cloudy — the night’s coldest spot by a wide margin. Bundle up if you’re out on the lake trails.
Allegany County (Cumberland): Sunny and mild, high 70°. NW winds 5–14 mph kicking up by afternoon. Clear tonight, dropping to 37°.

Northern & Central Maryland

Washington County (Hagerstown): Sunny, high 72°, winds W 3–14 mph gusting as the front clears. Clear tonight, low 37°.
Frederick County: Sunny and warm, high 73°, breezy W winds 3–13 mph. Clear and cool overnight, low 39°.
Carroll County: Shares the Frederick grid — sunny, low-to-mid 70s (73°), clear tonight near 39°.

Baltimore Metro

Baltimore City & County: Sunny and summery for late October, high around 75°, W winds 3–13 mph. Clear overnight, low near 45°.
Harford County: Same airmass — sunny, mid 70s, breezy afternoon, clear and mild tonight in the mid 40s.
Howard County: Sunny, around 75°, with gusty NW winds developing behind the front; clear and cool tonight.
Anne Arundel County: Sunny, highs near 75°, breezy near the Bay with gusts pushing 25 mph this afternoon — secure loose Halloween decorations.

DC Suburbs

Montgomery County: Sunny, high 74°, NW winds 5–12 mph. Clear tonight, low 44°.
Prince George’s County: Essentially identical — sunny, mid 70s, breezy, clear and mild overnight.

Southern Maryland

Charles County: Sunny, high around 75°, W winds 5–10 mph. This is the area with the best shot statewide at brushing 80° given the dry downsloping air — don’t be shocked if thermometers run a touch above forecast.
Calvert County: Sunny, high 75°, light-to-moderate W winds. Clear and mild tonight, low 45°.
St. Mary’s County: Same story — sunny, mid 70s, patchy early fog possible near the water, clearing quickly.

Upper Eastern Shore

Cecil County: Sunny after any patchy morning fog, high near 75°, breezy W winds 5–15 mph.
Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Caroline Counties: All share the Easton grid — patchy fog at sunrise gives way to a sunny, warm afternoon near 75°, with gusty northwest winds 5–15 mph. Clear tonight, lows in the mid 40s.

Lower Eastern Shore

Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset Counties: Areas of fog early, then sunny and the warmest spot on the shore, high near 77°. A Special Weather Statement is in effect this morning for fog — see Active Hazards below. Winds W 3–12 mph. Clear tonight, low near 43°.

Ocean City & the Coast

Worcester County / Ocean City: Sunny, high 74°, winds W 8–12 mph by day, but shifting and strengthening out of the north tonight to 12–15 mph as the marine push arrives — bundle up if you’re boardwalk-bound after dark, with lows near 48°. No surf or tide specifics issued in this cycle, but expect choppier conditions offshore tonight into Saturday morning as winds build (see Marine section).

Active Hazards

Special Weather Statement (Moderate) — Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, and inland Worcester counties. Patchy to locally dense fog is possible through mid-morning, which could reduce visibility on area roadways. Allow extra time and following distance on your morning commute across the lower Shore; this should dissipate by mid-morning as the front clears through.

No watches or warnings are in effect for the rest of Maryland. The LWX Hazardous Weather Outlook (issued 5:03 AM) explicitly states no hazardous weather is expected today for the I-95 corridor, central Maryland, the Bay, or Tidal Potomac.

Severe & Flooding

None expected. This is a quiet, dry day statewide — the only moisture concern is the aforementioned patchy fog on the lower Shore this morning, and a stray sprinkle possible on the Garrett County ridgetops as the front passes. No flooding concerns anywhere in Maryland.

Heat, Winds & Chesapeake Bay

Today’s standout is the warmth — well above normal for October 30th, thanks to compressional downsloping off the Alleghenies, Blue Ridge, and Catoctins. Humidity stays low, so this will feel like a crisp, dry warmth rather than anything muggy — no heat index concerns. Winds are the other headline: west-to-northwest gusts of 20–25 mph are likely this afternoon, strongest near the Bay, the ridgelines, and the coast. Small Craft Advisory-level conditions are expected on the Chesapeake Bay and tidal Potomac from late this morning through early Saturday morning, driven by northerly channeling behind the front — boaters should plan accordingly. Winds ease Saturday morning as high pressure settles in, dropping below advisory criteria by Saturday afternoon.

Tonight’s Lows by Zone

Zone	Low
Western Mountains (Garrett)	~34°
Cumberland/Hagerstown	~37°
Frederick/Carroll	~39°
Baltimore/DC Corridor	44–45°
Southern Maryland	~45°
Eastern Shore	43–44°
Ocean City	~48°

Looking Ahead

Halloween itself (Saturday) brings the season’s first truly autumn-feeling trick-or-treat weather: highs mostly in the 60s statewide (upper 50s in the Garrett highlands), partly-to-mostly sunny skies, and lighter winds as high pressure settles overhead. It’ll be a cool but comfortable evening for costumes — a jacket layer is smart for after dark, with temps sliding into the 40s. Sunday brings more clouds as a shortwave trough slides south of the area, with highs nudging back into the low-to-mid 60s and only a slim, mostly-dry chance of an isolated shower Sunday night. Early next week looks mild and mostly dry, with better rain chances not expected to arrive until the back half of next week.

Data: NWS Baltimore/Washington, Mount Holly & Wakefield. — MD Weather Alerts (MDWA) brings you Maryland’s weather, county by county, every morning. Stay warm out there, and happy almost-Halloween.