MD Holiday Weather: Travel Forecast For Busy Christmas Weekend

MARYLAND — As millions prepare for the Christmas holiday, meteorologists are looking ahead to the weather for later this week, when holiday travel in Maryland and across the country is expected to get much busier.

For travelers in Maryland on Thursday, Dec. 21, and Friday, Dec. 22, conditions are forecast to be fairly good due to a high pressure creating pleasant weather across most of the East Coast, according to AccuWeather forecasters. Key travel hubs in the East are not expected to face many delays or cancellations due to weather.

According to AAA forecasts, the 2023 holiday season will be the busiest ever for air travel in the U.S. The record number of airline travelers between Dec. 23 and Jan. 1 was set in 2019 with 7.3 million flyers. This record stands a chance at being broken this season, AAA said.

Road travel also is expected to pick up this Christmas, with gasoline prices dropping below $3 per gallon in some areas of Maryland.

For Tuesday, the most impactful weather is in western Maryland, where heavy mountain snow is making travel hazardous.

"However, the threat does wane through the day as snow showers begin to taper off," the National Weather Service said. "Otherwise, cold northwesterly winds will be gusty across the entire region before dropping off after dark. For the remainder of the period, temperatures should be seasonable, with mainly dry weather ahead."

On Thursday and Friday, when the roads and airports are expected to get more crowded with travelers, partly sunny skies are predicted, with high temperatures in the upper 40s to 50 degrees and lows in the upper 20s and low 30s.

The weekend before Christmas looks to have no significant concerns, Capital Weather Gang forecasters said.

"We have a slight chance of a light shower late Saturday or early Christmas Eve, but that is about all," the forecasters said.

Otherwise, Maryland residents should look for partly sunny to mostly cloudy skies this coming weekend, with highs from the mid-40s to low 50s. Lows will be in the 30s.

"At this time, Christmas Day looks sunny and dry, but clouds will increase by evening with a chance for showers returning Tuesday," WJZ News reported.

Here is a look at the forecast for Maryland for Thursday through early Christmas week from the National Weather Service:

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 43.

Friday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44.

Saturday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Christmas: Sunny, with a high near 45.

Christmas night: Party cloudy, with low around 32.

Tuesday: Cloudy with rain tapering to a couple of showers, with high of 49.