Maryland Weather: 'Unsettled' Conditions To Bring Rain, Snow

BALTIMORE, MD — "Unsettling" weather conditions will arrive Sunday in Maryland and wind gusts in the state could exceed 50 mph at times, according to the National Weather Service. Heavy rain is also expected to move across the state, with snow forecast for western parts of the state. Local forecasters say the storm system will rapidly intensify overnight.

Rain and flooding are also a concern, but the biggest concern is the damaging wind in the forecast. The National Weather Service says the worst of the weather should hit between 6 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday. A wind advisory is posted for all of Maryland from 10 p.m. Sunday to 10 a.m. Monday, while coastal waters are under a gale warning until 11 a.m. Monday.

The National Weather Service is predicting winds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts around 50 to 55 mph. Strong winds may blow down limbs, trees, and power lines. Scattered power outages are expected. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.

Wind warnings are in effect at the Bay, Tydings and Nice bridges as of 9:45 p.m. Sunday, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority. Drivers of house trailers, box trailers, motorcycles and vehicles with roof racks containing cargo should use extra caution during a wind warning, which is triggered by winds of 30 to 39 mph, officials say.

Look for an inch or two of rain across much of the state, while snow is likely Sunday night in the high elevations of western Pennsylvania, Western Maryland and West Virginia. The Capital Weather Gang says 6 inches of snow is possible in elevations above 3,000 and especially 4,000 feet in those regions.

Areas under the wind advisory include: the District of Columbia, plus all or parts of Carroll, Baltimore, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Charles, St. Marys, Calvert, Montgomery, Howard, and Harford counties.

Cities in the advisory include Eldersburg, Westminster, Reisterstown, Cockeysville, Baltimore, Bowie, Suitland-Silver Hill, Clinton, College Park, Greenbelt, Laurel, Camp Springs, Glen Burnie, Annapolis, Severn, South Gate, Severna Park, Arnold, Odenton, St. Charles, Waldorf, Lexington Park, California, Chesapeake Beach, Huntingtown, Dunkirk, North Beach, Lusby, Prince Frederick, Germantown, Damascus, Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Lisbon, Columbia, Ellicott City, Jarrettsville, and Aberdeen.

Winds should pick up strength by 5 or 6 p.m., while the strongest gusts are likely to be between 8 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. Monday, the Weather Gang says.

Here is the detailed forecast of the powerful storm for Maryland:

Today: Rain. High near 69. Southeast wind around 8 mph becoming southwest. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday night: Rain before 2am, then showers, mainly after 2am. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 45. Breezy, with a west wind 14 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Monday: Showers likely before 8am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 60. Breezy, with a west wind 18 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Monday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. West wind 8 to 10 mph.

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Graphics via the National Weather Service, photo via Shutterstock