Very high winds and some snow showers expected on Thursday.

A strong area of low pressure passing well off to our north on Thursday will send a strong arctic cold front through the region during the morning hours. This will bring a variety of possible weather hazards to our area during the day on Thursday, including high winds, possible snow squalls, and very low wind chills. But we aren't the only ones dealing with this! This storm system will bring high winds, snow, and very cold temperatures to much of the Northeast and northern Mid Atlantic late week.

The biggest issue we will face on Thursday by far is the wind. We expect widespread wind gusts of 40-50mph across the lower elevations, and gusts possibly reaching or even exceeding 50mph in the higher elevations. Locations such as the Catoctin Mountains, northern portions of Parr's Ridge, and much of Washington county could see gusts close to 55mph in isolated locations. Currently, the strongest winds look to be from about 10am until 6pm, though the start time will depend on exactly when the front passes. 

A very tight pressure gradient will set up over the region between the departing cold front/low pressure system, as well as an incoming area of high pressure from the west. This, combined with deem mixing of the lower atmosphere and strong winds aloft, lead to a favorable set up for high winds. Historically speaking, this type of set up has led to some of our higher end wind events with gusts over 50mph. We fully expect that a wind advisory will be issued. 

With this magnitude of winds, some trees and large branches may come down. In addition, there will likely be some power outages, especially across northern MD where the strongest winds are expected to occur. Many homes also are wonderfully decorated for the holidays. If that is you, I strongly encourage you to secure any outdoor decorations as they could easily be blown down or away in wind gusts over 40mph. In areas that see winds gusting over 50mph, we cant rule out an isolated instance of siding or shingle damage, but widespread structural damage is not anticipated. 

A far as snow chances go, they aren't huge, and significant accumulation is not expected. That being said, there is about a 40% chance for snow showers or even snow squalls primarily to the NW of I-95. To the SE of there, temperatures aloft will likely warm enough to keep precipitation as a mix of rain and snow rather than pure snow. 

Across northern MD and southern PA, there could be a few narrow isolated bands of snow showers that last long enough for a light dusting of accumulation. If this occurs, it likely will be confined to the grass, car tops, and decks. However, there is a low, but non zero chance that a snow squall puts down a dusting on the roadways. Again, the chance of that occurring is quite low due to the above freezing temperatues, but its not impossible, and is worth monitoring. The chance for travel/school impacts looks very low at this time. 

Elsewhere across most of central MD south of I-70, no accumulation is expected. 

Finally, the cold. I mean, its going to be a cold day regardless. But when you put 40+mph winds on top of temperatures in the 30s, you get brutally cold wind chills. We start the day with actual temperatures in the mid to upper 30s, but drop into the low 30s once the front passes. Wind chills by early afternoon will likely be dropping into the teens and 20s across the entire area. For those of you headed west, near to even below 0 wind chills are expected across western MD. Lows Thursday night will fall into the 20s with wind chills into the lower teens likely. 

Not much relief is expected on Friday, with highs only making it into the low-mid 30s. And with continued gusty winds, the wind chills will remain in the teens and 20s all day.