Posted on 12/31/24
| News Source: Pikesville Patch
Baltimore, MD - Dec. 31, 2024 - A wet and windy New Year's Eve in Maryland will be followed by a series of cold fronts bringing chillier temperatures and wintry conditions to much of the region.
Dec. 31 will start off dry before showers move into the Baltimore region this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms are possible after 5 p.m. and rain is likely to continue through the early morning hours Wednesday.
Strong winds are also possible on Tuesday, with gusts reaching up to 21 mph, NWS forecasters said.
In Western Maryland, a winter storm warning was also in effect Tuesday for Garrett County until 4 a.m. Wednesday. According to the NWS, the county could see 4-8 inches of snow with locally higher amounts from Keysers Ridge down along the western face of Backbone Mountain.
By this weekend, things will take a very cold turn heading into the new year. Several blasts of Arctic air are expected to sweep through the eastern half of the country during the first half of January, AccuWeather long-range forecasters warn.
“Bitterly cold air will make a big return to the East Coast starting this weekend. This could end up being the coldest January since 2011 for the U.S. as a whole,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said.
In Baltimore, the warmest temperatures this weekend will only hit the mid- to upper 30s.
According to the Capital Weather Gang, New Year's Day will also be blustery in Maryland with wind gusts reaching 30 to 35 mph. Some flurries are possible in the wake of another cold front on Friday, while a third front could bring snow or a wintry mix Sunday night into Monday.