MoCoSnow

Per the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE): “A narrow ribbon of wildfire smoke from coastal North Carolina will push its way northward into the state overnight Saturday. At this point in time, the plume looks to focus along and east of the I-95 corridor extending across the Bay to the Eastern Shore coast. Areas impacted by this smoke plume will see fairly high fine particulate levels over a several hour period between roughly midnight and noon.

Meanwhile a cold front will begin to track eastward through the state during the afternoon hours. As the front pushes through, any lingering smoke will wash out as conditions turn cleaner. Expect Moderate to potentially high Moderate fine particulate levels along and east of the I-95 corridor for a 24-hour average. The situation will be monitored closely. Winds shift westerly Sunday into early next week behind the front as Canadian high pressure slowly moves overhead. Despite a fair amount of sunshine, ozone and fine particulate levels will remain in check given a clean residual air mass and unseasonably cool temperatures.”

Per the National Weather Service: “The strong system moving in from the Midwest will bring strong to locally damaging winds to the region. Additionally, a threat for severe weather exists across far northeastern MD today. While temps warm back up next week, more active weather looms. Damaging winds are expected on Saturday. High Wind Warnings are in effect for most of the region for gusts up to 65 mph. Wind Advisories remain for areas generally south of I-66 for gusts up 55 mph. Secure loose objects and prepare for power outages.”

Temperatures will reach the mid 70s today, and the rain may clear out for a bit midday, but the winds will remain and so will the chance of rain throughout the day. Sunday will be breezy to start with temperatures reaching the mid 50s and plenty of sunshine as the breeze slows down as the day continues. The upcoming week will bring temperatures in the 70s, and possibly 80s on Tuesday and Wednesday, before a cool-down on Friday and into the weekend. Photos courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Daylight Saving Time always begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. Many often use the expressions, “spring forward” and “fall back” to help explain which way we the clocks are moving. On Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 2:00am, we “spring forward” to 3:00am and lose an hour of sleep along the way. The good news? More daylight later into the day as the weather gets warmer.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of moving the clocks forward one hour from Standard Time during the spring and summer months and changing them back again for the fall and winter months– in theory allowing us to make better use of natural daylight. A bill to end Daylight Saving Time, called the Sunshine Protection Act, passed the Senate last year, but stalled in the House and expired at the end of the last session of Congress. While there are many who support the bill, right now an end to Daylight Saving Time isn’t imminent.

Two days after 80° weather, it’s likely we will see some snow today. Temperatures are in the upper 20/lower 30s at 7am across the county and are expected to reach the mid to upper 30s later today. Snow/wintry precipitation is expected to move into the area later this morning and lasting into the afternoon hours. Not much is expected, but it could be enough to coat the grass and cars.

We don’t expect any major traffic issues due to this potential Saturday snowfall, but it’s always a good idea to use a little extra caution while driving if the snow rates pick up for a short amount of time. Temperatures are expected to push 60° again on Sunday, which has been a common theme for this February. Below you’ll see Fox 5’s “Futurecast” run of today’s very minor snow event. Our featured photo comes from this run.

We have certainly had a milder February, but temperatures may reach 80° later this week. Today, we are expected to reach the lower 60s. A cloudy morning should become a mix of clouds and sun later today with temps getting into the 60° this afternoon. Tuesday is expected to be a bit sunnier and a couple degrees warmer today, with temps in the low to mid 60s.

Things will cool down on Wednesday with rain possible and temperatures in the mid 60s before a big warm up comes to town on Thursday, February 23 with temperatures expected to reach the upper 70s and possibly as warm as 80°!  DC has reached 80° in February just three times in history– 84° on February 25, 1930, 82° on February 21, 2018, and 82° on February 28, 1948.

After a couple colder days, temperatures are expected to push 60° again to start the week off on Monday. A chilly morning start will lead to temps hitting 50° by about noon and reaching the upper 50s an hour or two after that, with partly sunny skies.

A similar day is expected on Tuesday, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50s. The week will end with three days (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) of temperatures on the mid to upper 60s, which is not common for mid-February. The three days of spring-like weather will come with variable cloudiness and a chance of rain on all three days, with Thursday being the most likely.

After the first measurable snow in a while last Wednesday (it wasn’t much), cold weather remained in the area until today (Sunday, February 5) when temperatures are expected to reach 50° in the afternoon. Monday and Tuesday are expected to remain in the upper 40/lower 50s before even more of a warm up mid-week.

By the time Wednesday comes around, high temps are expected to reach the low 60s– unseasonably warm for early February. A little moisture is expected to move into the area towards the end of the week, with rain possible Thursday and Friday while high temperatures remain in upper 50s/lower 60s before a cool down going into the weekend.

The possibility of winter weather has excited many snow lovers (or those hoping for a school delay) in the area, but the expected amount isn’t going to make them happy.

Light snow is expected to enter the area a little after midnight and could last for a few hours. Temperatures at that time should be slightly above freezing and could dip to a little below freezing, but the amount of snow and the warm ground should not be enough to allow for much accumulation. I would expect anywhere from flurries to a coating in grassy areas with a low “boom” possibility of a half inch (mainly on grass, with a low likelihood of that happening).

While many have been asking about possible winter weather on Wednesday, there hasn’t really been much of a threat for accumulating snow here in MoCo for this one. There is a Winter Weather Advisory as close at Frederick County from 7am until 4pm, with 1-3 inches expected in the Catoctin mountains (includes parts of northern Frederick County) and a coating to an inch for other parts of Frederick County.

Not much of anything is expected in MoCo, with a coating possible for grassy areas in the northern part of the county, but temperatures would keep the roads wet from any snow that may fall. So while there may be some flakes, it shouldn’t have any impact on MCPS and barely any on the roads.

Montgomery County has extended the Hypothermia Alert for 4:00 pm Saturday, 1/14/23 – 1:00 pm Sunday, 1/15/23. Expect wind chill to be at or below 32 degrees. Wear layers and take extra precautions if you spend significant time outdoors during that time. A Hypothermia Alert is issued for the County when forecasted temperatures, and/or wind chill, in at least part of the County fall below 32 degrees creating a hazardous situation in which hypothermia and frostbite are likely. A Cold Emergency Alert could be issued for the County when dangerously cold conditions are present, including, but not limited to, sub-zero temperatures and wind chill for which it will be dangerous to be outdoors for prolonged periods of time.

There is always particular concern for children, seniors, homeless individuals and animals during periods of extreme cold.