Honestly, if you’ve lived in Maryland for more than five minutes, you know the drill. You wake up to a "Winter Weather Advisory" on your phone, look out the window at a gray sky, and wonder if you should actually dig out the heavy shovel or just wait for the inevitable afternoon rain to wash it all away.
Right now, weather for baltimore next week is looking like a classic mid-Atlantic chess match between Arctic air and lingering moisture.
Sunday, January 18, is starting the party with some light rain and a chilly 36°F, but don't let the liquid stuff fool you. The National Weather Service has a Winter Weather Advisory active until 6:00 PM tonight. We’re basically looking at a two-part event where rain shifts into a slushy snow mix. While the northwest suburbs might see a couple of inches, for most of us near the Inner Harbor, it’s going to be a messy, cold Sunday with a high of 37°F and a low of 23°F.
The Big Chill: Monday and Tuesday
Once Sunday's slush clears out, the real story begins. The "Polar Vortex" lobes meteorologists have been tracking are finally sliding into place.
Monday, January 19, actually looks beautiful on paper. It’ll be sunny. You'll see a high of 38°F. But that southwest wind at 13 mph is going to keep things biting. If you’re heading out for MLK Day events, keep the layers on because the overnight low is hitting a bone-chilling 20°F.
Then comes Tuesday.
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Tuesday, January 20, is when the Arctic air really takes its seat. We’re looking at a high of only 27°F. That is ten to fifteen degrees below our seasonal "normal." It’s the kind of cold that makes your car take a second longer to start and makes the humidity—which usually hovers around 28% on these dry days—feel like it's sucking the moisture right out of your skin.
Mid-Week Fluctuations
Basically, we spend the rest of the week trying to climb out of that hole.
Wednesday, January 21, brings us back to 39°F under partly sunny skies. It sounds "warmer," but the overnight low stays at 18°F. Thursday peaks at 41°F, which might feel like a heatwave compared to Tuesday, but it’s still brisk.
- Sunday (Today): Light rain/snow mix. Messy. High 37°F.
- Monday: Sunny but cold. High 38°F, Low 20°F.
- Tuesday: The deepest freeze. High 27°F.
- Wednesday/Thursday: Slow recovery. Highs in the low 40s.
Why the "Big Snow" Predictions Often Fail Here
People get hyped every time they see a blue blob on a weather map. But in Baltimore, we have the "Chesapeake Factor."
The Bay is sitting at about 2°C (35.6°F) right now. That relatively "warm" water acts like a heater for the air immediately above it. Often, a storm that dumps six inches in Frederick or Carroll County turns into a drizzly, 34-degree mess by the time it hits Camden Yards.
For the weather for baltimore next week, the moisture is the missing ingredient after Sunday. While the cold is definitely here—thanks to that third wave of the polar plunge—the atmosphere looks relatively dry through Friday.
Looking Toward Next Weekend
If you’re planning travel for Saturday, January 24, expect mostly cloudy skies and a high of 33°F. There’s a lingering 10% chance of snow, but nothing that should cancel your plans just yet.
Interestingly, some long-range models are sniffing out a more potent system around Sunday, January 25, or Monday the 26th. The current forecast for that following Monday shows a 75% chance of snow with highs stuck at 26°F. That’s the one to watch if you’re a fan of actual accumulation.
Actionable Insights for the Week Ahead
Stop checking the "snow total" graphics three days out; they’re almost always wrong for I-95. Instead, focus on the wind chill and the overnight lows.
- Drip the pipes: Tuesday night is the real danger zone with that 18-degree low.
- Check the salt: Sunday’s slush will freeze solid by Monday morning. If you don't clear your sidewalk before the sun goes down tonight, it’ll be a skating rink tomorrow.
- Layers over heavy coats: With highs swinging from 27°F to 41°F, you’ll want gear you can peel off.
The takeaway? Bundle up for Tuesday, watch the ice on Monday morning, and keep an eye on the following weekend for the "real" winter potential.