Alert Day for Friday; stormy end of the week for Maryland

A turbulent end to the work week will give way to a stretch of sunny, warmer days beginning Sunday, offering a much-needed break from recent unsettled weather.

Skies will remain mostly cloudy overnight Thursday, with temperatures holding in the 60s. A disturbance tracking south of the area will bring a chance for showers and thunderstorms to parts of Southern Maryland later tonight and into early Friday morning. Areas north, including Baltimore, should stay dry to start the day Friday with continued cloud cover.

An ALERT DAY has been issued for Friday afternoon through Friday night, as another round of storms is expected to move through the region. Some storms may become severe, with the potential for damaging wind gusts, heavy rain, hail, and frequent lightning. Southern Maryland faces a low-end risk for isolated tornadoes.

Rain chances linger into Friday night and early Saturday as the final disturbance in the series moves through late Saturday morning into the afternoon. While showers and thunderstorms will be possible, forecasters emphasize Saturday will not be a total washout. Highs will stay on the cooler side, topping out in the upper 60s to near 70 degrees.

Sunshine returns on Sunday, accompanied by a breeze and pleasant highs in the low to mid-70s—a picture-perfect day for outdoor plans.

The warming trend continues into next week. Monday and Tuesday will feature dry conditions and plenty of sunshine, with highs climbing through the 70s into the low 80s. Temperatures will peak midweek, with mid-80s expected Wednesday and upper 80s Thursday ahead of an approaching cold front, which could bring another chance for storms late in the day.