Damaging Winds In MD: 55 MPH Gusts Possible

MARYLAND — The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook and a wind advisory for most of Maryland on Thursday.

Expect winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 55 mph until 5 p.m. Monday across central, northern, southern, and western Maryland, according to the weather service.

"Winds continue to increase this morning and into the afternoon as a strong front passes through," the Baltimore-DC office of the National Weather Service said. "Gusts of 40-50 mph are expected for most of the region w/ gusts up to 60 mph across the higher terrain where blizzard warnings remain in effect. Winds slowly decrease through Friday."

A wind advisory is in place until 5 p.m. for these areas: Washington, Carroll, Baltimore, Cecil, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Charles, St. Marys, Calvert, Allegany, Montgomery, Howard and Harford counties.

A hazardous weather outlook is also in place Thursday for the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay, Tidal Potomac River, and I-95 corridor through central Maryland, northern Virginia, and District of Columbia.

While snow and showers have moved out of the Baltimore-DC region, they have been replaced by howling winds and winter-like temperatures in the 30s with wind chills in the 20s, The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang said. "The cold and wind linger into Friday but, take heart, by Sunday a real warm-up gets underway."

Here's the seven-day Maryland forecast from the National Weather Service:

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 47 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 27. West wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 38. Northwest wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. West wind around 8 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. West wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 54.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Monday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Monday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tuesday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tuesday Night: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Wednesday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 40%.