571  
FXUS61 KLWX 240600  
AFDLWX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
200 AM EDT SAT OCT 24 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ANNAPOLIS.  
OTHERWISE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE  
FORECAST THINKING FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- 1) FROST OR FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE IN MANY AREAS  
TONIGHT AND SUNDAY NIGHT.  
 
- 2) DRY WEATHER CONTINUES THROUGH NEXT WEEK ALONG WITH  
GENERALLY SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...FROST OR FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE IN  
MANY AREAS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY NIGHT.  
 
WITH A LARGE AREA OF CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVERHEAD  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND, CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY BECOME FAVORABLE  
FOR RADIATIONAL COOLING (LIGHT TO CALM WINDS, MAINLY CLEAR SKIES  
AND A COOL BACKGROUND AIRMASS). AT THE MOMENT, IT IS UNCLEAR  
WHICH NIGHT WILL BE THE COLDEST, ALTHOUGH TONIGHT (SATURDAY  
NIGHT) WILL HAVE A SLIGHT ADVANTAGE GIVEN THE POSITION OF THE  
HIGH OVERHEAD.  
 
THE GROWING SEASON FOR 2026 HAS ENDED ALONG AND WEST OF THE BLUE  
RIDGE AND CATOCTIN MOUNTAINS, BUT CONTINUES EAST OF THERE. ANY  
HEADLINES FOR FROST/FREEZE CONDITIONS WILL ONLY BE ISSUED WHERE  
THE GROWING SEASON REMAINS ACTIVE.  
 
FOR TONIGHT, MORE WIDESPREAD COLD (POSSIBLE FROST/FREEZE)  
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AS HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES MORE DIRECTLY  
OVERHEAD. THIS WOULD BRING THE FROST/FREEZE THREAT FOR MOST  
AREAS OUTSIDE THE MAJOR URBAN CENTERS (DOWNTOWN DC/BALTIMORE) AND  
IMMEDIATE SHORE OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. IF THE COLDER GUIDANCE  
VERIFIES, THEN THE GROWING SEASON MAY END FOR MORE AREAS WEST OF  
I-95 COME EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. THE HIGH WILL REMAIN OVERHEAD  
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING, AND THE LOW-LEVEL AIRMASS DOESN'T  
CHANGE APPRECIABLY, SO FROST/FREEZE CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE  
AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT.  
 
DID NOT MAKE APPRECIABLE CHANGES TO THE PREVIOUS MIN TEMPERATURE  
FORECASTS, WHICH ARE NEAR OR BELOW THE COLDEST GUIDANCE WHICH  
PERFORMS BEST IN RADIATIONAL COOLING (MOS, NBM 10 PERCENTILE AND  
CANADIAN REGIONAL).  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...DRY WEATHER CONTINUES THROUGH NEXT WEEK ALONG  
WITH GENERALLY SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES.  
 
CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO PREVAIL OVERHEAD OVER THE  
NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS UPPER-LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST. AS  
THIS RIDGING TRACKS EAST, A DRY BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL MOVE  
THROUGH TUESDAY AND INTO WEDNESDAY, WITH WINDS SHIFTING  
NORTHEASTERLY IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. WITH PWATS REMAINING LOW  
THROUGH THIS PERIOD, NO PRECIPITATION IS ANTICIPATED AS THIS FRONT  
MOVES THROUGH.  
 
AS THIS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES ON, TEMPERATURES REMAIN  
SEASONABLE, WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S TO LOW 70S. OVERNIGHT LOWS COULD  
GRADUALLY INCREASE SOMEWHAT THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AS THIS HIGH  
PRESSURE PERSISTS, WITH SKIES REMAINING MOSTLY CLEAR THROUGHOUT THE  
WEEK. A FEW MODELS HINT AT THIS HIGH PRESSURE BREAKING DOWN TOWARDS  
THE END OF NEXT WEEK AS A WEAK TROUGH BEGINS TO FORM OVER THE OHIO  
RIVER VALLEY NEXT THURSDAY. REGARDLESS, EXPECT CONTINUED DRY AND  
SEASONABLE CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE AT LEAST THROUGH THE NEXT  
SEVERAL DAYS AS THE CURRENT PATTERN REMAINS LARGELY UNCHANGED.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
THERE ARE SOME HINTS THAT A SLIGHT UPTICK IN LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE  
COULD LEAD TO SOME PATCHY FOG DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND, THOUGH CONFIDENCE IN TIMING AND EXTENT OF  
SUB-VFR IS LOW AT THIS TIME. THE NAM AND RELATED GUIDANCE IS BY  
FAR THE MOST AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS OUTCOME, BUT IS AN OUTLIER.  
 
E TO SE FLOW IS EXPECTED TODAY, WITH LIGHT TO CALM WINDS AGAIN  
TONIGHT. WIND DIRECTION MAY BE A BIT VARIABLE, RANGING FROM SE  
TO NE AS HIGH PRESSURE PASSES DIRECTLY OVERHEAD SUNDAY.  
 
P6SM SKC AS HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES EARLY NEXT WEEK. A DRY COLD  
FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA LATE MONDAY NIGHT WITH WINDS SHIFTING  
TO N/NW TUESDAY.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVERHEAD THIS WEEKEND. WINDS WILL VARY  
A BIT FROM NORTHEAST TO SOUTHEAST, BUT AT LIGHT SPEEDS LESS THAN  
10 KNOTS. WINDS STAY BELOW SCA CRITERIA MONDAY.  
 
A DRY BACKDOOR COLD FRONT PASSING THROUGH COULD BRING WIND  
GUSTS NEAR SCA CRITERIA ON TUESDAY BEFORE DIMINISHING AGAIN  
OVERNIGHT. WESTERLY WINDS MONDAY SHIFT NORTHERLY TUESDAY, THEN  
EASTERLY WEDNESDAY IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT.  
 
 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING  
 
GENERALLY LIGHT BUT STEADY EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED  
TO KEEP WATER LEVELS ELEVATED THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WHEN PAIRED  
WITH HIGH ASTRONOMICAL TIDES DUE TO THE UPCOMING FULL MOON ON  
OCTOBER 26, ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF MINOR TIDAL FLOODING ARE  
POSSIBLE. THERE HAS BEEN A SLIGHT TREND DOWNWARD, SO THERE IS  
SOME DECREASE IN CONFIDENCE FOR WHICH LOCATIONS REACH MINOR  
FLOODING IN FORTHCOMING HIGH TIDES. GUIDANCE DOES SHOW A MORE  
NOTABLE DECLINE IN WATER LEVELS BY MONDAY WHEN FLOW FINALLY  
TURNS WESTERLY.  
 
 
   
LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
DC...NONE.  
MD...FROST ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR MDZ004>006-008-  
507-508.  
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR  
MDZ014.  
VA...NONE.  
WV...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...ADS/DHOF/LFR/KJP/SRT  
AVIATION...ADS/DHOF/LFR/SRT  
MARINE...ADS/DHOF/LFR/SRT  
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...LWX  
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