MD Weather: Tornado, Flood Watches Issued For 12 Counties, Baltimore

MARYLAND — A tornado watch is in effect Friday morning for the city of Baltimore and 12 Maryland counties, the National Weather Service said. The watch is in effect until 2 p.m.

Tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms and the agency warns residents to take shelter if one is reported in their area.

Drivers can expect locally heavy rain, which could reduce visibility and cause accumulations of water in the roadways. Minor flooding may occur in streams, creeks and low-lying areas.

Along with the city of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., these Maryland counties are under the tornado watch: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, St. Marys and Washington counties.

The tornado watch is in effect for much of the area until 2 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service. In addition to the threat for tornadoes, damaging wind gusts and large hail will also be possible.

A flood watch is in effect for the region from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday for the potential of flash
flooding. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall may lead to scattered instances of flash flooding.

The storms may also bring strong winds that could bring down trees and power lines, causing power outages across the region.

"Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms are likely starting this morning and continuing through this evening," the Weather Service said. "Locations could receive 1 to 2 inches of rain in a short period of time. Localized rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected, though locations that experience multiple rounds of thunderstorms could exceed 3 inches."

Drivers hitting the highways in the East on Friday for an early start to the holiday should expect weather-related delays in addition to high traffic volume. Torrential downpours can create dangerous conditions from low visibility, wet roads and flooding in poor drainage areas.

"The risk of severe thunderstorms on Friday, with localized flash flooding, is likely to extend from near Albany, New York, to Charlotte, North Carolina, and central Georgia," AccuWeather Meteorologist Nicole LoBiondo said.

Here's the latest Memorial Day weekend forecast:

Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 3pm. Some storms could be severe, with damaging winds and heavy rain. High near 78. South wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 11pm and 2am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Low around 63. South wind 6 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. West wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 61. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.

Memorial Day: Sunny, with a high near 88.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 71.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 91.