Another heat wave is in store for much of Maryland this weekend before another batch of storms breaks up the sunny, summer-like weather. There's also a chance that a developing geomagnetic storm could bring sightings of the northern lights to the region, forecasters said.
Compared to the final weekend of May, temperatures this weekend will be 20 to 25 degrees higher across much of the Baltimore region, AccuWeather wrote in its latest forecast.
Temperatures are forecast to be near or exceed 90 degrees for four straight days starting Thursday — the meteorological definition of a heat wave — before storms arrive Saturday night.
"The contrast will be even greater compared to Memorial Day weekend, when daytime highs in many areas challenged record-cold maximum temperatures," AccuWeather wrote. "This weekend is projected to be 30-40 degrees warmer across portions of the Northeast."
Thursday is forecast to be sunny and hot with a high of 89 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
After a low of 64 degrees under clear skies on Thursday night, Friday will again be hot and sunny with a high near 93 degrees.
Temperatures will hover in the upper 60s on Friday night before another scorcher on Saturday, with temperatures again soaring to 95 degrees.
Saturday night brings a chance of showers and thunderstorms arriving mostly after dark. The low temperature Saturday night is forecast at 70 degrees.
The heat will linger on Sunday with a predicted high of 91 degrees and another chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Sunday will be cooler with a high of 78 degrees. There will be considerable cloudiness with rain in the morning and a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.
The Baltimore region should see some relief on Monday, with much cooler temperatures and a forecast high of 82 degrees.
The heat wave comes as much of Maryland continues to experience moderate-to-severe drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments issued a drought watch that applies to nearly six million residents across the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia.
While officials said there is an adequate supply of water in the Potomac River and backup reservoirs, under the drought watch, residents and businesses are encouraged to practice wise water use by taking simple, voluntary steps to reduce water use and help protect the region’s water resources if dry conditions persist.
“Our region hasn’t seen extremely dry conditions like this in about two decades when local leaders and COG first established a drought response plan to support coordination and communication regionwide,” said Clark Mercer, COG Executive Director. “During the drought watch, we’re asking the public to help by incorporating simple, water-saving actions into their daily routines.”
Meanwhile, the surge in heat is not the only weather note of interest impacting the region. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G3 (strong) storm watch for Thursday, meaning there's a likelihood of seeing the northern lights around the United States-Canada border.
However, solar activity can be difficult to predict.
"If the solar storm is intense enough and peaks at night, the aurora may be visible in parts of the D.C. area, especially away from light pollution," The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang wrote. "Usually, that means rural locations toward the mountains, where skies are darkest.
Here's a look at the detailed forecast for the Baltimore region:
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Light and variable wind.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Light southwest wind.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Light southwest wind.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Light west wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
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