Maryland
Maryland Weather: Cold continues, strong winds develop Thursday
BALTIMORE — Breezy & cold weather continues through Wednesday. An Alert Day is in effect Thursday for high winds & scattered rain and snow showers.
We will be dealing with another cold day. Early morning temperatures are starting between 26° and 32° across our area. Factor in the gusty northwest breeze, and it’s still a numbing morning with wind-chills in the upper teens and lower 20s. We’ll see a partly to mostly sunny sky today. Winds will be out of the northwest at 10 to 20 mph. Highs will top out in the lower 40s, but wind-chills will remain in the mid-30s at their warmest.
With a mainly clear sky, the wind relaxes tonight. This will allow the temperature to plummet, especially outside of the Baltimore Beltway. Expect lows in the upper teens and lower 20s.
A warm front will approach the area during the day Wednesday. We’ll have another biting cold start to the morning with early temperatures starting off in the lower 20s. Wednesday starts with a good deal of sunshine, but clouds build the second half of the day as an approaching warm front arrives. We’re still looking at a breezy and chilly day as the winds veer out of the south-southwest at 15 mph. Highs top out in the lower 40s.
A WJZ Alert Day has been issued Thursday for the entire WJZ Viewing Area for the potential of 35-50 mph wind gusts, rain & snow showers, and tough travel at times.
A powerful arctic cold front crosses the area late Wednesday night through midday Thursday. This arctic front will bring a few bands of rain and wet snow showers to the area. Most of what falls will be light, but because of the strong and gusty winds, it may lead to difficult travel at times. Winds will gust 35 to 50 mph Thursday morning into early Thursday afternoon before the strongest wind gusts ease. There is the possibilityy of a few snow squalls late Thursday morning as the arctic air is arriving.
Windy and bitterly cold weather are on the way Thursday night. Lows only dip into the upper 20s, but with a strong and gusty wind, wind-chills will be down into the teens.
Friday is bright, blustery, and very cold for this time of year. Highs reach the upper 30s, but wind-chills will be at around 30° at their warmest. The cold continues for the start of next weekend with a partly sunny sky and highs near 40° Saturday. On Sunday, the cold begins to ease with a mostly sunny sky and highs in the lower 50s.
The next storm system that impacts our area will move in Monday. By this time enough warm air will have arrived that any of the showers which pass through the area Monday afternoon and evening will all fall in the form of rain.
Calling all outdoorsmen and women — Maryland’s Lower Shore is home to some of the best hiking, walking and running trails on the East Coast.
Here’s a closer look at four picturesque parks and preserves with nature trails in the Berlin, Salisbury and Ocean City area.
Assateague Island
Assateague Island offers a wide variety of paved and unpaved trails open for hiking and 37 miles of flat beach terrain for wandering and beachcombing. Assateague Island’s Maryland District features a Life of the Dunes trail, Life of the Forest trail, Life of the Marsh trail.
Furnace Town
Furnace Town is nestled between the Pocomoke State Forest and Nature Conservancy’s Nassawango Creek Preserve. The popular historical site offers three Nature Conservancy Trails, three Maryland Forest service Trails, and a 26-acre outdoor museum and recreation area.
Pemberton Historical Park
Pemberton Historical Park, a 262-acre area featuring a trail system, outdoor amphitheater and more, was created in the 1980s. The park offers 4.5 miles of nature trails for walking and hiking only, allowing visitors to explore wetlands, forests and more of the natural world.
Nassawango Creek Preserve
Nassawango Creek Preserve’s primeval forest has an abundance of bald cypress and black gum trees. Visitors are invited to indulge in its four trails, the Nassawango Joe, Prothonotary Warbler, Ron Wilson Memorial Trail and Leifer Trail, as well as self-guided audio tours.
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region.
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals’ first-round draft pick Chris Hacopian inked his first professional contract Wednesday, a moment made sweeter by the fact it was just a 30-minute drive from home to get to Nationals Park and put pen to paper.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region. He’s from Potomac, Maryland, and played his high school ball at Winston Churchill, where he was named the 2022 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2022 Washington Post All-Met selection.
According to MLB.com, Hacopian grew up a Nationals fan, admiring the likes of Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa and others. He also played his first two collegiate seasons at the University of Maryland, where his father Derek played before him, before transferring to Texas A&M for his junior season.
With the Aggies, Hacopian hit .319 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI across 42 games en route to being named First-Team All-Southeastern Conference and a Third-Team All-American by Baseball America, the Nationals said in a news release.
After inking his contract Wednesday, Hacopian donned his new jersey and ball cap and stepped onto D.C.’s beloved diamond as a part of the Nationals organization for the first time.
“That was so cool, oh my gosh. I’ve been in the stands like, 100 times, but being on the field is so different,” he said.
Hacopian was ranked 14th among MLB Draft prospects by MLB.com. The 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound second baseman boasted one of the best bats in college baseball, according to MLB.com, with excellent control over the strike zone and feel for the barrel, along with solid pop.
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The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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