Strengthening Nor'easter To Impact MD: What To Know

Snow may not be a concern this weekend, but a rapidly strengthening coastal storm is expected to batter Maryland with punishing winds and bring bitterly cold temperatures to the Baltimore region, according to the latest forecasts.

The storm, which forecasters say will meet the definition of a bomb cyclone, will likely deposit several inches of snow in the Carolinas and southern Virginia but is expected to miss most of Maryland as it passes offshore.

It's possible the Baltimore region could see a dusting of snow on Saturday, and up to a half-inch or so could fall in the southern part of the state, where a winter weather advisory remains in effect until 4 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm's biggest impacts on the Baltimore area will be strong winds late Saturday through Sunday, and dangerously cold temperatures, which are expected to linger through early next week.

The National Weather Service issued a cold weather advisory for the Baltimore region, which goes into effect at 10 p.m. Saturday and remains in place until 1 p.m. Sunday.

Forecasters said wind chills are expected to dip below zero Saturday night and hover in the single digits much of Sunday.

The unforgiving temperatures also mean the rock-hard layer of snow and ice — dubbed “snowcrete” by some — will not appreciably melt through early next week," the Capital Weather Gang wrote in their latest forecast. "With temperatures expected to remain below normal beyond that, there are no clear signs of a rapid thaw."

Meanwhile, wind speeds will increase Saturday into Saturday night, peaking in strength Sunday morning with gusts around 35 mph. The wind, when combined with temperatures in the single digits, will result in dangerously cold wind chills of 10 to 20 degrees below zero.

According to the National Weather Service, if temperatures don't rise above freezing until Tuesday, both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. will record the longest stretch of below-freezing temperatures since 1989. It would also become the fourth-longest stretch of below-freezing temperatures in Baltimore since records began in 1872.

Here's a look at the detailed National Weather Service forecast for the area:

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 20. North wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as -6. North wind 8 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 26. Wind chill values as low as -6. Blustery, with a northwest wind 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 14. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 32. Northwest wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 15.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 36.

Tuesday Night: A chance of snow after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday: A chance of snow before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 32. Chance of precipitation is 30%.