Maryland Weather: Coldest air of the season arrives Tuesday

BALTIMORE —  A low-pressure system is strengthening along the Outer Banks of North Carolina and is moving northward this afternoon. Clouds from this system are covering Maryland, bringing a few light showers to the region. Any rain that occurs is expected to be light and scattered, with areas along and east of I-95 seeing the most rain.

To the west, a strong upper storm system is moving in from the west bringing precipitation chances to Western Maryland. Initially starting as a chilly rain, with temperatures dropping overnight. The arrival of a cold front later tonight may lead to a mix of rain and snow, especially in higher elevations of Western Maryland. Light snow accumulations are possible. Nighttime lows are expected to fall into the 30s, with colder temperatures in the mid to upper 20s over the mountains.

From Monday through Tuesday night, the coastal low will move northeast, bringing drier conditions. However, a strong cold front will bring a cold Arctic air mass, leading to snow showers across Western Maryland through Tuesday evening. Total snowfall is expected to be around an inch, with some areas possibly seeing up to two inches.

Brisk westerly winds are also expected, with gusts up to 30 mph, and up to 50 mph in the mountains. Temperatures will vary across region, reaching the low 50s across southern Maryland and the Lower Eastern Shore and 40s elsewhere. 

Tuesday will be windier and colder than Monday. Wind chills in the mountains could dip below zero, while the Baltimore Area will see wind chills in the 20s.

Wednesday through Friday will see a warming trend as high pressure builds into the area. Temperatures are expected to recover into the 40s under mostly sunny skies on Wednesday. Continued southwesterly flow and rising temperatures are expected through Thursday, with most areas outside of the mountains seeing low to mid-50s.

Rain chances increase Friday afternoon into Friday night as a storm system moves into the area from the west. After a brief lull in the rain chances on Saturday, another storm will bring more rain to the area to start next week. Temperatures will be more mild by the weekend with highs in the mid 50s Saturday and around 50 on Sunday.