More severe weather is on the way to central Maryland come early Thursday morning. After a loud start for many Wednesday morning with wind and hail similar threats can be expected as we head into the Thursday morning time-frame.
Our storm system currently sits over northern and central Illinois where numerous severe weather alerts are in place. This area of storms will quickly chug east east into the Ohio River Valley overnight and mountains of West Virginia during the wee hours of Thursday morning.
These areas right now are under an enhanced and slight risk for severe weather with wind a the primary threat. Hail has also been an issue with many of these storms with colder air being forced in aloft as temperatures look to drop vastly later this week.
Storms start to enter the western Maryland mountains around 3-5am Thursday morning. Wind and hail threat will be likely here as the storms push east toward Baltimore. The mountains may help us out here in the city and surrounding suburbs as storms roll in between 5-7am. Wind still a primary threat here with the main line along with small hail. For that reason the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK has placed us under a "Level 1" risk for severe weather. The line sinks ino the Eastern Shore between 6-8am before heading off the coast shortly after. Leftover showers and a renegade storm will be possible Thursday midday into the early afternoon.
The bigger story will be the wind behind the storm system Thursday afternoon. Gusts could topple 40 mph as cooler air floods in. Snow will also fire in the mountains of Maryland Thursday night through Friday with up 1" expected.
Winds do not let up Friday with gusts around 40 mph and temperatures plummeting into the upper 40s and low 50s. Skies will be clear and with winds relaxing late patchy frost may become an issue into the weekend. Less wind and rebounding temps to start the Easter holiday weekend. Highs near 60 Saturday before mid 60s return Sunday. The only bad part of this forecast is the fact that more substantial rain looks to move in Easter Sunday with heavy thunderstorms once again early next week. Tis' the season for Spring severe weather in Maryland.
