After weeks of sunny skies and cozy fall weather, Marylanders will soon face several days of stormy conditions to round out the week.
Mostly sunny skies on Tuesday and Wednesday will give way to rain clouds by Thursday, with showers lingering through Friday night.
The latest National Weather Service forecasts indicate the first drops of rain will arrive by midday Thursday, around 1 p.m., as a cold front moves in.
Marylanders can expect temperatures to stay in the mid-70s with wind gusts of 5 mph to 8 mph. Forecasters say the rain won't be continuous, with breaks expected.
Conditions may worsen on Thursday night as thunderstorm cells develop and move into the region.
Residents are also being warned of possible lightning, with slightly elevated chances in parts of Prince George's, Charles, St. Mary's, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford and Cecil counties.
The highest chance of storms is Friday, with forecasters predicting an 80% chance of rain and an elevated risk of lightning.
Between Thursday and Friday, officials say Maryland is expected to have recorded between a quarter and a half inch of rainfall overall.
While the weekend brings a return to sunnier conditions, there is a slight chance for rainfall on Sunday night as well as Monday.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. South wind 5 to 7 mph.
Tuesday Night: Patchy fog after 4 a.m. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 52. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind 3 to 6 mph.
Thursday: A chance of rain before 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Thursday Night: A chance of rain and thunderstorms, then rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 72. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday Night: A chance of rain, mainly before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.
Sunday Night: A chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday: A slight chance of rain. Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
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