But first, big rain
Nice day today, but our weather will start downhill in a big, wet way Sunday. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for all of Central Maryland as an approaching cold front loaded with rain heads our way (radar loop, below) after inundating California. The rain forecast map above makes it pretty clear who's in the way of this hosing.
Forecasters out at Sterling say we should expect an average of 2 inches across the region, with up to 3 in spots before this storm ends 
around sunrise on Monday. Make sure those storm drains are clear.
Then we can anticipate some river flooding, as well, as the runoff reaches the main channels. No chance this will change into something frozen, as temperatures Sunday and Sunday night will stall near 50 degrees, if the forecast holds up.
Temperatures on Monday could reach 60 degrees before the cold front finally gets by us. Then we'll sink back to the seasonal norms for a few days - low-40s for highs. Colder weather will follow on Thursday or thereabouts as a (dry) clipper system from Central Canada blows through.
Our next storm threat will emerge at week's end, as another Gulf and coastal storm brews up. Forecasters aren't sure yet whether this one will spin far enough north to affect us.
Comments
Hopefully the rain will wash my car off well.
FR: Or away...
Posted by: NotableM | January 23, 2010 5:46 PM
Frank, More Rain (Great!!)....Looks like 2010 is starting off the way 2009 ended.....One phrase I never want to hear again is 'Much Needed Rainfall'....Although I'm sure the first time we have a week without rain we will be inundated with reports from the doom-and-gloom prognasticators about the 'dire straits' and drought-like conditions we're facing...What A Joke!!!
FR: Actually, we had a week without rain this month - from the 9th to the 16th. Guess I missed the gloom part.
Posted by: David | January 24, 2010 9:17 PM
What is this January hurrican rumor? quick search of noaa.gov shows nothing but it's all over Facebook. Maybe your contacts can help set the story straight.
FR: There is nothing brewing in the Atlantic basin, although Atlantic tropical cyclones are not unheard of in January. There was one that carried over into January 2006 at the end of the brutal 2005 hurricane season. It was dubbed Tropical Storm Zeta. It began Dec. 30 and expired on Jan. 6. I haven't seen the Facebook entries you mention. Perhaps they're talking about the intense storm and high winds that have swept through the mid-Atlantic states this morning. Very low barometer (29.27 inches and still falling as I write). Thousands are without power in the Baltimore region. Kinda feels like a tropical storm, too. Trees and limbs down, mild temperatures, lots of rain.
Posted by: Sarah Fisher | January 25, 2010 10:19 AM
Here on the Eastern Shore it appears that Dorothy and ToTo just blew by....or maybe I should say they just floated by. Either way, I'm off to the garage to finish work on my Ark!!! Thanks.
Posted by: David | January 25, 2010 10:45 AM