MD Weather: Record-High Temps Then Snow

MARYLAND — After record-warm temperatures tempted Marylanders earlier this week to turn on the air conditioning, meteorologists say snow may mix with rain Wednesday in parts of the state.

Temperatures will drop to the mid-30s Tuesday night in much of Maryland, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter weather advisory for Allegany and Garrett counties calls for 2 to 4 inches of snow and up to 0.1 inch ice from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9.

Parts of northern and central Maryland may also see some snow Wednesday morning. Rain is expected to start after 4 a.m. then mix with snow before 10 a.m. However, it is not expected to stick around due to surface temperatures elevated by sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s on Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

"While some spots well to the north and west of the DC and Baltimore metros could see a coating on colder surfaces (i.e., grass, car tops, etc.), expect any snowflakes to quickly melt," forecasters said in a discussion after 3 p.m. on Tuesday. "Thus, a chilly rain is likely through the day, accompanied by temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s and plenty of low clouds. All of this activity exits by Wednesday evening with overnight lows ranging from the mid 20s to mid 30s."

A storm threat could also bring wind damage and scattered storms through the region late Friday to Saturday night, weather officials said, due to low pressure moving up the East Coast.

"Although its exact track and strength remain uncertain, there is an enhanced severe storm
threat for damaging wind gusts late Friday night through Saturday," according to the hazardous weather outlook. "At least scattered instances of tree and power line damage are possible, and could result in blocked roadways or power outages. Wind chill temperatures around 0 are possible in the wake of the storm Saturday night into early Sunday, especially at higher elevations."

AccuWeather meteorologists are calling it a "serious case of weather whiplash."

In fact, Maryland set back-to-back records for the warmest temperatures Sunday and Monday, when BWI Airport hit 79 degrees.

"The weather in March can change in a flash or a blink of an eye, and this week will be a prime example," AccuWeather Senior On-Air Meteorologist Justin Povick said.

As the cold front moved into Maryland on Monday, strong winds knocked out power and toppled trees around the region.

More than 14,000 customers had power outages as of 11:15 p.m., according to BGE, including more than 575 in Baltimore County, over 470 in Harford County and nearly 200 in Anne Arundel County.

Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Garrett, Montgomery and Prince George's counties all reported gusts of at least 50 mph in places on Monday. Reports of fallen trees were submitted to the weather service from Baltimore, Frederick and Carroll counties as well as Anne Arundel County, where a tree fell onto a house in Crofton; and Montgomery County, where downed wires caused a brush fire off MD 27/Ridge Road near Clarksburg.

Winds will likely be more calm for the next couple of days until picking up Saturday, based on the forecast.

Here are some of the forecasts from the National Weather Service:

Record Temperatures On March 7 And March 6

BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport reached 79 degrees at 1:51 p.m. on Monday, March 7, according to the National Weather Service, breaking the record of 76 degrees on March 7, 1974. Salisbury also reached 79 degrees, cracking the 75-degree record from 1974 too.

It was not the only place locally hitting a record high, according to the National Weather Service Eastern Region. Reagan International Airport climbed to 80 degrees, shattering the 77-degree record from 1961.

Springlike weather also dominated the forecast over the weekend.

On Sunday, Baltimore was among more than 36 locations nationwide that broke or tied their records for high temperatures, according to the National Weather Service Eastern Region.

BWI hit 78 degrees on Sunday, breaking the record of 76 degrees set March 6, 1935, according to the National Weather Service.

Patch editor Mark Hand contributed to this report.