MD Weather: Weekend Nor'easter Is Possible

MARYLAND — It's still early but some forecasters are already tossing around the word nor'easter about a storm that could make its way up the East Coast by the end of the week. If it pans out, we could see a cold, windy stretch of rain this weekend.

Nor'easters form within 100 miles of the coast from New Jersey to Georgia when cold air and warm water meet, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Storms develop as the polar jet stream blows cold air south and east from Canada, hitting the Gulf Stream, a warm current in the Atlantic. Typically, the storms appear between September and April, officials say.

A nor'easter can bring cold air, rain, wind and sometimes snow.

Models show rain from the coastal storm hitting Maryland late Friday afternoon or early Saturday, forecasters from the National Weather Service advised about the impact on the Baltimore-Washington area.

One model has rain hitting Maryland around 2 p.m. on Friday, while another shows outer bands of rain entering the region at 2 a.m. on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will be in the upper 30s to upper 40s, the forecasters project, with nighttime temps dropping to the upper 20s and 30s.

"Temperature profiles are marginal for some wet snow over the higher terrain," the weather service advised in its outlook for the Baltimore-Washington area.

The coastal storm will shift northeast on Sunday, with the potential for lingering rain and snow showers, according to the forecast. Another cold front is possible Sunday afternoon.

A storm is set to track over the eastern US this weekend, bringing rain, wind and a some snow to the region: https://t.co/vYMzHQdSko pic.twitter.com/EWDT7mPZ9g
— AccuWeather (@breakingweather) October 22, 2018

The forecast is still early, and The Weather Channel says its possible the storm's impact may be minimized if it stays offshore.

As early as Friday, rain and gusty winds could hit the Southeast and southern mid-Atlantic as an area of low pressure begins to organize near the coast, according to The Weather Channel.

If it does hit, the storm could dampen plans during the last weekend of October.

— With reporting from Patch editors Kara Seymour and Mike Carraggi.

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