950  
FXUS61 KLWX 142356  
AFDLWX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
756 PM EDT TUE JUL 14 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
NO CHANGES TO THE CURRENT FORECAST PACKAGE. HEAT ADVISORIES HAVE  
BEEN ISSUED FOR MOST LOCATIONS EAST OF THE ALLEGHENIES WEDNESDAY  
WITH ADDITIONAL HEAT HEADLINES NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA  
THURSDAY.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- 1) HEAT ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR MOST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY  
AS RECORDS ARE CHALLENGED. HEAT CONTINUES THROUGH FRIDAY.  
 
- 2)THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASE THIS WEEKEND AND COULD POTENTIALLY  
LINGER INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A FRONT DROPS INTO THE REGION.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...HEAT ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR MOST OF THE  
AREA WEDNESDAY AS RECORDS ARE CHALLENGED. HEAT CONTINUES THROUGH  
FRIDAY.  
 
NOT TOO MUCH OF A CHANGE IN THE FORECAST WITH HAZARDOUS HEAT,  
HUMIDITY, AND POOR AIR QUALITY EXPECTED FOR THE MIDWEEK PERIOD. HEAT  
ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR MOST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY OUTSIDE  
OF THE MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY. THESE LOCATIONS  
WILL BE JUST SHY OF CRITERIA GIVEN LOWER DEWPOINT/HUMIDITY VALUES.  
EVEN WITH THAT SAID, EXPECT HEAT INDICES BETWEEN 96-102 DEGREES  
OUTSIDE OF THE ADVISORY WITH 100-105 DEGREE HEAT INDICES IN THE  
ADVISORY AREA (I.E THE BALTIMORE/DC METROS). AIR TEMPERATURES  
WILL NEAR RECORD LEVELS (SEE CLIMATE SECTION BELOW) WITH MOST  
SEEING HIGHS EAST OF THE ALLEGHENIES IN THE UPPER 90S AND LOWER  
100S. A STRONG DOME OF HIGH PRESSURE OF CENTRAL GREAT LAKES IS  
TO THANK FOR THE HIGH HEAT YIELDING A STEADY SUPPLY OF +25 TO  
+28 DEGREE C 850 MB WARM AIR ADVECTION INTO THE REGION. SIMILAR  
TEMPERATURES AND HEAT INDICES ARE EXPECTED ON THURSDAY ALTHOUGH  
A FEW MORE CLOUDS AND AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM MAY BE OBSERVED  
SINCE THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE LESS CAPPED. HEAT HEADLINES WILL  
LIKELY BE NEEDED ONCE AGAIN FOR PORTIONS OF THE REGION THURSDAY  
MIDDAY THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.  
 
ON TOP OF THE HEAT, WILL COME THE CONCERN FOR HAZE/POOR AIR QUALITY.  
THE RESPECTIVE AIR QUALITY AGENCIES IN MD AND VA HAVE ISSUED CODE  
ORANGE AIR QUALITY ALERTS FOR THE DC/BALTIMORE METROS. THIS IS  
LARGELY DUE IN PART TO DENSE SMOKE ALOFT FROM WILDFIRES OVER WESTERN  
ONTARIO, CANADA. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, THE SMOKE MAY  
CIRCULATE ACROSS THE AREA AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER HIGH  
OVER THE MIDWEST. SO, EXPECT GRADUALLY DETERIORATING AIR QUALITY  
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA THROUGH FRIDAY..  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASE THIS WEEKEND AND COULD POTENTIALLY  
LINGER INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A FRONT DROPS INTO THE REGION.  
 
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RUN A FEW DEGREES COOLER BUT REMAIN  
HOT ON FRIDAY WITH FORECAST HIGHS IN THE 90S. DEWPOINTS ARE FORECAST  
TO DROP INTO THE 50S BEHIND A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT WILL MOVE  
THROUGH FROM THE NORTHEAST, LEADING TO LESSER INSTABILITY AND  
DECREASED CHANCES FOR AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOCALLY.  
 
A SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE WILL DESCEND DOWN IN NORTHWESTERLY FLOW  
THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES ON SATURDAY. SURFACE WINDS WILL TURN OUT OF  
THE SOUTHWEST IN RESPONSE TO THE APPROACHING SHORTWAVE, DRAWING  
DEEPER MOISTURE BACK NORTHWARD INTO OUR FORECAST AREA. MOST  
SOLUTIONS FAVOR DEWPOINTS REACHING NEAR 70 DURING THE AFTERNOON  
HOURS. THAT COUPLED WITH HEIGHT FALLS ALOFT AHEAD OF THE SHORTWAVE  
WILL LEAD TO INCREASED CHANCES FOR AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD POTENTIALLY TURN STRONG TO  
SEVERE WITH MODEST FLOW ALOFT AND A HIGH CAPE/DCAPE THERMODYNAMIC  
ENVIRONMENT IN PLACE. FORECAST CONFIDENCE DECREASES BY SUNDAY, BUT  
THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE POSSIBLE AGAIN IF THE SYSTEM'S COLD FRONT  
REMAINS UPSTREAM, KEEPING A MORE UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/  
 
VFR CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT UNDER  
MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS. ONE THING OF NOTE WILL BE SMOKE ALOFT FROM  
FIRES BURNING OVER WESTERN ONTARIO. THIS WILL RESULT IN A HAZY  
APPEARANCE OF THE SKY THROUGH FRIDAY ALTHOUGH VSBY REDUCTIONS ARE  
NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE  
THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALTHOUGH CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW AT  
THIS TIME.  
 
PREVAILING VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY INTO THE UPCOMING  
WEEKEND. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR  
RESTRICTIONS THIS WEEKEND. WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT OUT OF THE  
WEST AND NORTHWEST WITH SPEEDS LESS THAN 15 KTS.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
SOUTHERLY CHANNELING WILL LIKELY RESULT IN A PERIOD OF SCA  
CONDITIONS TONIGHT ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND LOWER BAY.  
 
SUB-SCA LEVEL NORTHWESTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  
SMWS MAY POTENTIALLY BE NEEDED ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY IF  
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE OVER THE WATERS. MORE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM  
ACTIVITY AND THE NEED FOR SMWS WILL BE NEEDED OVER THE WEEKEND AS A  
COLD FRONT SAGS INTO THE REGION. SOUTHERLY CHANNELING ALSO RETURNS  
TO PORTIONS OF THE WATERS SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY.  
 
 
   
CLIMATE  
 
A PERIOD OF WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY  
AND THURSDAY, WITH DAILY RECORD HIGHS LIKELY TO BE SET FOR SOME  
LOCATIONS ON WEDNESDAY, ALTHOUGH THURSDAY LOOKS HOTTER.  
 
BELOW IS A LIST OF RECORD DAILY HIGH AND WARM LOW TEMPERATURES FOR  
JULY 15 (WEDNESDAY) AND JULY 16 (THURSDAY).  
 
=================================================================  
JULY 15 RECORD DAILY HIGH/WARM LOW TEMPERATURES  
=================================================================  
BALTIMORE MD 102 (2024, 1995) 79 (1995, 1936)  
WASHINGTON DC 102 (2024) 81 (2024)  
STERLING-DULLES AIRPORT VA 99 (2024) 75 (2024)  
BALTIMORE (DOWNTOWN) MD 101 (2024) 85 (1988)  
ANNAPOLIS MD 101 (1995) 81 (1896)  
HAGERSTOWN MD 102 (1954) 78 (2024)  
MARTINSBURG WV 107 (1936) 75 (1995)  
CHARLOTTESVILLE VA 102 (1954) 76 (1936)  
 
=================================================================  
JULY 16 RECORD DAILY HIGH/WARM LOW TEMPERATURES  
=================================================================  
BALTIMORE MD 104 (2024, 1988) 78 (1879)  
WASHINGTON DC 104 (2024, 1988) 84 (1983)  
STERLING-DULLES AIRPORT VA 104 (1988) 74 (2013)  
BALTIMORE (DOWNTOWN) MD 105 (2024) 85 (2013)  
ANNAPOLIS MD 98 (1997, 1900) 79 (2024, 2013, 1955)  
HAGERSTOWN MD 104 (1988) 76 (2024)  
MARTINSBURG WV 107 (1988) 77 (1983)  
CHARLOTTESVILLE VA 102 (1988) 82 (1983)  
 
PERIOD OF RECORD (POR) INFORMATION (RECORDS SINCE):  
BALTIMORE MD - JULY 1872  
WASHINGTON DC - JANUARY 1872  
STERLING - DULLES AIRPORT VA - JANUARY 1960  
BALTIMORE (DOWNTOWN) MD - JULY 1950  
ANNAPOLIS MD - JANUARY 1894  
HAGERSTOWN MD - JANUARY 1899  
MARTINSBURG WV - JANUARY 1891  
CHARLOTTESVILLE VA - JANUARY 1893  
 
 
   
LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
DC...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR DCZ001.  
MD...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR MDZ003>006-  
008-011-013-014-016>018-502>508.  
VA...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR VAZ026>031-  
040-051-053>057-501-502-505-506-526-527.  
WV...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR WVZ050>053-  
055-502-504.  
MARINE...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ANZ530.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ANZ532>534-  
541>543.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...LFR/KJP/EST/DHOF  
AVIATION...LFR/KJP/EST  
MARINE...LFR/KJP/EST  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab VA Page
The Nexlab MD Page
The Nexlab WV Page
Main Text Page