Weather Alert: Wind Advisory Issued for Maryland Saturday

BALTIMORE, MD — The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory and a gale warning for parts of Maryland on Saturday. The advisory went into effect at 11:41 a.m. and continues until 5 p.m. Strong winds will continue through the afternoon, diminishing Saturday night, the weather service said.

Northwest winds could reach gusts of up to 45 to 50 miles per hour, according to the weather service. Winds could damage trees or bring down power lines, and make it difficult to drive high-profile vehicles, the weather service warned.

A gale warning is also in effect for the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River until 6 p.m. Saturday, and a small craft advisory goes into effect from 6 p.m. Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Counties in the wind advisory include: Carroll, Baltimore, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Montgomery, Howard, and Harford.

Cities in the advisory area 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, Germantown, Damascus, Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring,Columbia, Ellicott City, Jarrettsville, and Aberdeen.

Here's a look at the rest of the weekend weather, from the NWS forecast for Maryland:

• Saturday: Partly sunny and breezy. Cooler with highs in the upper 50s. Northwest winds around 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph...increasing to 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph this afternoon.
• Saturday night: Partly cloudy in the evening...then becoming mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s. West winds 15 to 20 mph.
• Sunday: Sunny. Highs in the mid to upper 60s. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
• Sunday night: Mostly clear in the evening...then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the low to mid 50s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

PHOTO: NWS map issued Saturday morning shows area shaded in brown under a Wind Advisory Saturday; Patch file photo