Foot's Forecast

Foot's Forecast Central Maryland weather intelligence by a collaborative team of experienced local forecasters.
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4:25 PM 05/20 - A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for portions of Baltimore, Carroll, and Harford Counties!A...
05/20/2026

4:25 PM 05/20 - A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for portions of Baltimore, Carroll, and Harford Counties!

At this time, a severe thunderstorm cell was located over Hampstead, moving eastwards around 25 MPH.

Radar is indicating that this thunderstorm is capable of producing severe wind gusts in excess of 60 MPH, as well as small hailstones up to ¾” in diameter, similar in size to pennies.

As a result, a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for northwestern Baltimore, east central Carroll, and northwestern Harford Counties until 5:00 PM EDT.

Some locations within this alert include, but are not limited to, Hampstead, Hereford, Jarrettsville, Parkton, Prettyboy, Upperco, and White Hall.

If you find yourself being approached by or within this cell, seek shelter indoors until the storm moves out of the area.
..Senior Forecaster Zach...

3:55 PM 05/20 - A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for portions of York County!At this time, a severe thunder...
05/20/2026

3:55 PM 05/20 - A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for portions of York County!

At this time, a severe thunderstorm cell was located over Windsor, moving eastwards around 30 MPH.

Radar is indicating that this thunderstorm is capable of producing severe wind gusts in excess of 60 MPH, as well as small hailstones up to ¾” in diameter, similar in size to pennies.

As a result, a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for southeastern York County until 4:30 PM EDT.

If you find yourself being approached by or within this cell, seek shelter indoors until the storm moves out of the area.
..Senior Forecaster Zach...

3:45 PM 05/20 - A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for portions of Carroll and Frederick Counties!At this tim...
05/20/2026

3:45 PM 05/20 - A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for portions of Carroll and Frederick Counties!

At this time, a severe thunderstorm cell was located to the north of Mount Airy and to the southwest of Westminster, moving eastwards around 30 MPH.

Radar is indicating that this thunderstorm is capable of producing severe wind gusts in excess of 60 MPH, as well as small hailstones up to ¾” in diameter, similar in size to pennies.

As a result, a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for central Carroll and east central Frederick Counties until 4:15 PM EDT.

If you find yourself being approached by or within this cell, seek shelter indoors until the storm moves out of the area.
..Senior Forecaster Zach...

1:37 PM 05/20 - At this time, scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are pushing into the western-most portions of our...
05/20/2026

1:37 PM 05/20 - At this time, scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are pushing into the western-most portions of our forecast area, in Washington County. The threat for these thunderstorms is expected to continue for the remainder of the daytime hours. However, the greatest threat and coverage is expected between 3:30 PM EDT and 8:00 PM EDT. As a result, a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH has been issued across the area. This alert will remain in effect through 8:00 PM EDT.

The greatest threat with the storms will be their capability to produce severe wind gusts, up to 70 MPH at times. In addition, there is also a threat for severe-sized hailstones, reaching up to 1” in diameter. This is similar in size to quarters. With these severe threats, these storms will also be capable of producing frequent cloud-to-ground lightning and torrential rainfall. General rainfall totals up to ½” are expected. However, within the strongest thunderstorms, rainfall totals as high as 2” cannot be ruled out.
..Senior Forecaster Zach...

6:41 PM 5/13 - At this time, a line of strong to severe thunderstorms is rolling into the area. These storms are current...
05/13/2026

6:41 PM 5/13 - At this time, a line of strong to severe thunderstorms is rolling into the area. These storms are currently located a few miles to the west of Interstate 81 and Hagerstown, in western Washington County, moving eastwards around 40 MPH. As a result, they are expected to move into Hagerstown over the next 30 minutes or so. Downstream, conditions are expected to deteriorate across the city of Frederick in the 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Baltimore still likely has another 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours.

These storms are currently producing wind gusts as high as 60 MPH and hailstones up to 1” in diameter, as indicated by radar, across northern Virginia and eastern West Virginia. As a result, Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are in effect across these areas. The issuance of downstream alerts across our forecast area will be possible, particularly through Frederick and Washington Counties.

…Senior Forecaster Zach…

05/04/2026

12:35 PM 05/04 - During the overnight hours tonight, some thunderstorm activity is expected to develop over Illinois and Indiana and pass into the area from west to east. However, with the sun having set by the time these storms roll through the area and deterioration thanks to the interference of the Appalachian Mountains, significant impacts are not anticipated. That being said, these storms may still be capable of producing some thunder and lightning, alongside some brief moderate rainfall. The most likely locations to see these impacts will be the western portions of our forecast area, including Frederick and Washington Counties in Maryland, as well as Adams County in Pennsylvania. In these area, there is about a 65% chance of rain or thunderstorm. To the east of these locations, chances will drastically decrease to only about 20% on the eastern side of the forecast area, including portions of Anne Arundel and Harford Counties.

Otherwise, temperatures this afternoon are expected to run in the low to mid-70s. Winds will be noticeable, blowing warm air in from the south between 10 and 15 MPH. Wind gusts may peak near 30 MPH. After sunset, temperatures are expected to drop to the upper 50s and low 60s with winds remaining a little breezy, around 10 MPH.

Breezier conditions are expected to Tuesday, with winds continuing to blow warm air into the area from the south between 15 and 20 MPH. Wind gusts are also expected to reach as high as 35 MPH. However, high temperatures are expected to be very comfortable, if not a bit warm, running in the upper 70s and low 80s. Increased wind speeds are expected to continue through Tuesday night, blowing in the area between 10 and 20 MPH. Overnight low temperatures are forecasted to drop to the upper 50s and low 60s across the area. Some light rain will be possible during the early morning hours, prior to sunrise on Wednesday. This will lead up to our first extended period of rain, starting on Wednesday.

…Senior Forecaster Zach…

1:00 PM 5/1 - Even with the rainfall that we have seen over the past week, the drought has continued to worsen. The enti...
05/01/2026

1:00 PM 5/1 - Even with the rainfall that we have seen over the past week, the drought has continued to worsen. The entire portion of our forecast area in Maryland is now listed to be experiencing a severe drought. This includes almost the entire portions of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Washington Counties as well as Baltimore City. The only portions of this area still considered to be experiencing a moderate drought are found across portions of Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, and Washington Counties along the Mason-Dixon Line, particularly west of Hagerstown. This moderate drought also encompasses a better majority of the Pennsylvanian counties that we cover – Adams and York. However, southeastern York County is also experiencing a severe drought.

We are likely going to see a few scattered showers move across the area tonight. These are expected to be fairly brief, only lasting a couple hours at a maximum, and light, with widespread precipitation totals only reaching up to 1/10”. After this, we are expecting conditions for the rest of the weekend to be clear of precipitation. High temperatures are expected to run in the low to mid-60s, with low temperatures dipping down to the low to mid-40s during the overnight hours after sunset.

Looking ahead to next week, a few scattered showers will remain possible, particularly on Monday. However, it does not look like we are going to get one of those long, extent period of consistent rainfall for quite some time. The best chance for this will come on Wednesday and Thursday, when some widespread scattered showers capable of producing moderate precipitation are expected. Otherwise, somewhat warmer weather is expected. High temperatures are expected to run in the 70s for most of the period, with nighttime low temperatures dipping between the low 50s and low 60s.

With the soil being this dry, it is important to keep in mind the enhanced threat for outdoor fires to spread rapidly. Ensure the safety of your property and your community when lighting fires outside in any fashion. Do not leave any fires unattended and ensure that all flames are put out.

…Senior Forecaster Zach…

5:10 PM 04/23 - Over the past week, the drought across the forecast area has continued to worsen. According to the U.S. ...
04/23/2026

5:10 PM 04/23 - Over the past week, the drought across the forecast area has continued to worsen. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the entirety of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties, as well as Baltimore City, are now listed to be under a severe drought, with over 99% Harford County also included. A significant amount of other areas are also included within this category, such as central and southern Baltimore, eastern Howard, southeastern Montgomery, and western Washington Counties in Maryland, as well as southeastern York County in Pennsylvania. The remainder of the area is entirely encompassed by the moderate drought category.

This is not a localized drought. Drought conditions are also widespread across the southeastern quarter of the nation and throughout many areas south and west of the Missouri River, excluding California. The worst conditions are currently found across northeastern Arkansas, northwestern Colorado, near the bend of Florida, and southern Georgia. Due to these abnormally dry conditions, fire weather has become a significant hazard, and wildfires have been breaking out. Today, Red Flag Warnings span the central portion of the nation from New Mexico and western Texas through eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. Fires of significant size are ongoing, particularly across the states of Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma

For our area, there is some minor relief on the way. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop over the area Friday afternoon. Then, on Saturday, some steady light to moderate is expected to push into the area, likely persisting through the evening. However, rainfall totals from these events are expected to be relatively light. In general, we are looking at widespread totals between ¼” and ½”, although a few isolated locations may be able to approach 1”. Although this may provide some temporary aid, it does not look like any significant steady precipitation events are on the horizon for quite some time.

High temperatures over the weekend are expected to cool off a bit thanks to these systems that are expected to move through the area. High temperatures are generally expected to run in the mid-50s to low 60s. Low temperatures just prior to sunrise are expected to dip into the low to mid-40s. Similar conditions are expected to start the week before we warm up a bit during the midweek with high temperatures increasing to the upper 60s and low 70s.
..Senior Forecaster Zach...

1:26 AM 04/19 - FREEZE WATCHES have now been expanded by the National Weather Service office in Sterling, Virginia to en...
04/19/2026

1:26 AM 04/19 - FREEZE WATCHES have now been expanded by the National Weather Service office in Sterling, Virginia to encompass nearly the entire forecast area. The only areas not included at this time are Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties. These alerts are currently scheduled to go into effect early Tuesday morning, prior to sunrise. As a result, if any action must be taken to protect vegetation from these harsh temperatures, they should be taken by Monday night.

Many of these alerts will likely be upgraded to Freeze Warnings by Monday afternoon. In areas where Freeze Warnings are not issued, Frost Advisories can be expected. This likely will include Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties. For those outside of our general forecast area, Freeze Watches are also in effect for the entire DelMarVa Peninsula to the north of Cambridge.
..Senior Forecaster Zach...

8:45 PM 04/18 - I hope you all have been enjoying the warm and relatively quiet weather we have had recently. If you are...
04/19/2026

8:45 PM 04/18 - I hope you all have been enjoying the warm and relatively quiet weather we have had recently. If you are like me and think it has turned too hot too quickly, we do have some relief coming these next few days. Sunday morning, a cold front is expected to pass across the area. As a result, high temperatures from Sunday through Tuesday are only expected to rise into the 50s. Low temperatures have the potential to even approach the freezing mark once again early Tuesday morning. As a result, FREEZE WATCHES have been issued for much of Pennsylvania for this period. Across the Maryland portion of our forecast area, Freeze Warnings and Frost Advisories may also be necessary. These types of alerts are issued by the National Weather Service during the growing season, to warn of temperatures that may dip low enough to damage vegetation.

In addition to the significant drop in temperatures, the cold front will also bring some much-needed light to moderate rain to the area Sunday morning. In general, rainfall totals are only expected to range between 1/5” and 2/5”. However, anything we can get will help at this point. The entire forecast area is currently experiencing a moderate drought, with most portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties now experiencing a severe drought.

For reference, the most frequently utilized official weather monitoring station in our area is located at the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Typically by this point in a calendar year, the airport would have seen about a foot of liquid precipitation. However, we are only around 63% of that total, seeing 7.62” of liquid precipitation across the year so far.

In addition, the site has not seen a month of above average precipitation totals since July 2025. Across this period from the beginning of August through mid-April, the airport typically sees about 31.30” of precipitation. In total, we have seen 18.55”. This is over a foot, or approximately 40%, below normal. For as long as records have been kept at the airport, the least amount of precipitation to fall across this period occurred between July 1980 through mid-April 1981, when only 17.87” fell. We are very rapidly approaching this record if notable rainfall does not occur soon.
..Senior Forecaster Zach...

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