More brutally cold weather returns to Maryland, snow possible this weekend
Another round of extreme cold is returning to Maryland. This next round will likely be more intense than previous rounds due to the magnitude of the cold coming from Canada along with widespread snow and ice pack on the ground.
Make sure you are ready for an extended period of unusually cold weather. Look after loved ones and be alert to people in need in your area. Find a list of winter shelters here.
Frigid weather this week in Maryland
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are First Alert Weather Days due to frigid temperatures combined with dangerously low wind-chills. Pockets of tough travel conditions will continue through the weekend with another batch of frigid temperatures arriving.
Additional school closings and delays are also likely through the end of the week for either poor travel conditions, dangerously cold wind-chills, or both.
The most intense cold of this upcoming stretch will arrive Thursday and last through Saturday. This is when high temperatures may not surpass the teens and low temperatures will be in the low single digits.
For the rest of Tuesday, the feel will be freezing with high temperatures in the middle 20s. Wind-chills will only climb into the lower to middle teens.
Sunshine Tuesday morning will give way to passing clouds by Tuesday afternoon as another cold front approaches. Scattered flurries are possible from 3 p.m. through 11 p.m. Not everyone will see these snowflakes, but areas that do will see little to no impacts as they won't last long and the intensity will be light.
Wednesday will feature more cold temperatures and the chance for a few late-day or nighttime flurries. Highs will top out in the lower 20s.
An even colder batch of air arrives Thursday and lasts through Saturday. All three days are Alert Days due to both extreme cold, especially during the morning hours with tough cold continuing through the afternoon.
Winds chills may drop to -10° in Baltimore on Friday and Saturday morning and as low as -20° outside of the immediate metro, northwest of Baltimore.
The intensity and duration of cold could lead to frozen, damaged water pipes. Please make sure your home is properly winterized and protected from the upcoming extreme cold.
Potential for snow this weekend
Looking ahead, another storm is set to develop near or over the southeastern United States. There is high confidence an extremely powerful coastal storm will form, but high uncertainty regarding the future of the storm's track.
The track and intensity of this storm are uncertain and will remain uncertain through at least Wednesday night or early Thursday. However, snow is possible along the East Coast heading into the weekend. Significant snow cannot be ruled out.
The three main scenarios are out-to-sea, coastal grazing, or a direct impact on the I-95 corridor. At this point in time, none of these scenarios can be ruled out.
The WJZ First Alert Weather Team will be closely following this storm and its future path and intensity. As confidence increases later in the week with better and more reliable computer model data, we'll be able to tell you if there will be impacts in parts of Maryland and the severity of them.
Stay with the First Alert Weather Team for updates, especially as we get closer to the weekend.