WEATHER BLOG: Warming Trend

As we continue to snap out of the bitterly cold air that has been gripping the entire region for more than two days, most places are either partly or mostly sunny.

At BWI-Marshall, Thursday's 4 a.m. temperature of 26 was the highest it has been since it was 25 degrees at 7 p.m. on Monday. With the clouds breaking for some midday and afternoon sunshine, the temperatures are into the mid to upper 30s.

We're still going to be watching Thursday night and Friday very closely, for it still appears that an upper level disturbance is moving out of the Ohio Valley and into the mid Atlantic states. While the Greater Baltimore Area should be on the northern fringes of light precipitation, there still can be a bit of snow, sleet and freezing drizzle between the hours of 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. During this time frame, temperatures are expected to be close to freezing, but we still must be mindful of the fact that the recent cold wave will keep ground temperatures well below freezing during the night. So, in a worst-case scenario, some folks could see a coating of ice early Friday that may make some untreated surfaces slick in a hurry.

After this, clouds should linger Friday afternoon and there could be a touch of drizzle as the temperature reaches the 40s later in the day.