One Last Mild, Sunny Day Before Thursday’s Rain and a Sharp Cooldown

Good morning. NWS Baltimore/Washington (3:54 AM update) and NWS Wakefield (3:35 AM update) both have the same message today: enjoy it. This is the last mild, dry day before a pattern change sends rain through tomorrow and a much colder, blustery weekend settles in behind it. Skies stay mostly to full sun statewide, high clouds creep in late, and temperatures run into the 60s nearly everywhere except the Garrett County highlands, which should still touch 60°. Light rain arrives late tonight into Thursday morning as the next system approaches — more on timing below.

Timing: Today Into Thursday

• Early morning (now–9 AM): Patchy frost/fog possible in sheltered low spots, especially west of I-81 and in rural valleys; otherwise clear to partly cloudy and calm.
• Midday–afternoon: Sunny to mostly sunny statewide, light winds, comfortable highs. High clouds begin thickening late afternoon, mainly west and north first.
• Evening–overnight: Clouds continue to lower and thicken from west to east. Light rain develops over Western Maryland after midnight and spreads east toward daybreak Thursday.
• Thursday: Light rain or showers likely area-wide through the day, becoming more showery in the afternoon as a cold front approaches, then tapering Thursday night as colder air floods in behind it.

Region by Region

Western Maryland

Garrett County (Deep Creek/Oakland): High around 60°, mostly sunny, light SW wind 5-8 mph — the coolest spot in the state but still a fine day on the lake. Rain moves in overnight, likely as a mix toward Thursday night when temperatures crash into the upper 20s at the higher elevations. Pack the fleece for the evening.
Allegany County (Cumberland): High near 67°, mostly sunny, light SW wind around 5 mph. Clouds increase after dark with a chance of light rain developing late tonight.

Northern & Central Maryland

Washington County (Hagerstown): High near 65°, mostly sunny, winds light out of the SE 2-7 mph. Clear overnight lows near 38° away from town before clouds build toward dawn.
Frederick County: High around 66°, mostly sunny, light south winds. Overnight low near 39° under mostly clear skies — frost possible in the valleys.
Carroll County: Essentially the same as Frederick — low-to-mid 60s for the high, upper 30s overnight, clear skies most of the night before late clouds arrive.

Baltimore Metro

Baltimore City & County: High near 65°, mostly sunny, light east wind 2-6 mph. A genuinely pleasant day to be outside. Clear tonight with a low around 43°; clouds and a slight chance of light rain arrive toward daybreak.
Harford County: Tracking with the Baltimore gridpoint — mid 60s for the high, low-to-mid 40s overnight, calm and clear tonight.
Howard County: Same story — around 65° today, dropping to the low-to-mid 40s tonight under mostly clear skies.
Anne Arundel County: High near 65-66°, light winds, clear and comfortable tonight near the mid 40s.

DC Suburbs

Montgomery County: Sunny, high around 66°. Overnight low near 47° with increasing clouds and a slight chance of light rain developing toward morning.
Prince George’s County: Essentially identical — sunny with a high near 66°, mostly cloudy overnight near 47° with a slight late-night rain chance.

Southern Maryland

Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties: Sunny and mild, high near 66°, east wind around 7 mph. Mostly cloudy tonight with a low near 49° — the mildest overnight readings in the state outside the coast, and only a slight (10%) chance of rain before daybreak.

Upper Eastern Shore

Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Caroline Counties: Patchy morning fog, then sunny skies with a high near 67°, winds light out of the SE. Overnight stays dry and partly cloudy with a low near 48° — rain holds off here until Thursday.

Lower Eastern Shore

Dorchester, Wicomico, and Somerset Counties: Sunny, high near 68° — the warmest reading on the Shore today. Partly cloudy tonight, low near 49°, essentially rain-free until Thursday’s showers arrive.

Ocean City & the Coast

Worcester County: Sunny, high near 63° at the beach with a light NE wind around 7 mph — typical late-season marine cooling. Partly cloudy tonight, low near 55°, the mildest overnight spot in Maryland by a wide margin. Showers hold off until Thursday. No unusual surf or rip current concerns noted in today’s guidance; swimmers should still mind the chillier water and always check posted flags.

Active Hazards

No watches, warnings, or advisories are in effect for Maryland as of this morning. (Note: a Frost Advisory is active this morning for portions of southern New Jersey, per NWS Mount Holly — that does not apply to Maryland.) Enjoy the quiet stretch; see below for what’s coming.

Severe & Flooding Outlook

None expected today. Thursday’s system is a rain and wind maker, not a severe weather threat — forecasters have actually trended the rainfall totals down since earlier in the week, and any shower activity Thursday into early Friday (lingering mainly over northeast Maryland) looks light. No flooding concerns are noted at this time.

Winds, Humidity & the Bay

Winds stay light and manageable today across the state, generally 5-8 mph from the south or southeast, with no marine headlines currently posted on the Bay or tidal rivers. That changes behind Thursday’s cold front: forecasters expect northwest winds to strengthen sharply Thursday night into the weekend, with Small Craft Advisory conditions likely developing on the Bay and gusts approaching gale force Friday and Saturday. Boaters should plan around that — today and tonight are the calm before it. Tidal action stages are also possible Thursday night ahead of a prolonged period of low, blowout tides Friday into early next week as northwest winds take hold.

Overnight Lows by Zone

Zone	Low Tonight
Western mountains (Garrett)	Near 42°
Cumberland/Hagerstown	Low-to-mid 40s
Frederick/Carroll	Upper 30s to near 40°
Baltimore/DC corridor	Low-to-mid 40s
Southern Maryland	Near 49°
Eastern Shore	Upper 40s
Ocean City	Mid 50s

Looking Ahead

Thursday brings light rain likely statewide, best chance west and north early, becoming more showery in the afternoon as a strong cold front sweeps through — highs still reach the 60s ahead of the front before a sharp cooldown. Thursday night into Friday, temperatures crash behind the front: lower elevations fall from the mid 50s into the mid 40s, while the Garrett County highlands drop from the upper 40s Thursday morning to the upper 20s by Friday morning. Snow showers become likely in the Alleghenies late Thursday night through Friday evening, with an inch or two of accumulation possible at the higher elevations. Friday and Saturday turn blustery and much colder behind the front, with northwest winds gusting near 30 mph and Small Craft Advisory conditions on the Bay. Below-normal temperatures and dry weather look to continue into early next week, with many inland spots outside the urban centers and tidal shoreline likely seeing their first freeze.

Data: NWS Baltimore/Washington, Mount Holly & Wakefield. — MDWA will have Thursday’s rain and cooldown timing refined in tonight’s update. Stay dry out there, and enjoy today while it lasts.