After a surge of springlike warmth Tuesday, colder air is moving in and could bring some snowflakes by the end of the week, but accumulation isn't a worry.
Temperatures were nearing 60 degrees around the region by 10 a.m. Tuesday, with 59 degrees at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. They were expected to reach at least the mid-60s in the afternoon, but a cold front moving through in the evening hours was expected to cool things down with some gusty breezes.
Wednesday through Friday, temperatures are forecast in the 30s and 40s, with lows at or below freezing. As an atmospheric disturbance produces some precipitation late Thursday night into Friday, that could mean some snow, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Tuesday morning, the weather service was forecasting a rain/snow mix in the wee hours of Thursday morning, potentially into the morning commute. But it's still too early for any significant concern, since the region is expected to be so close to the freezing mark, making it "very hard to pin things down," said Andy Woodcock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
"We're almost to the spring equinox now," Woodcock said. "The sun angle is just getting so high that if snow does fall after midnight, which it might be a snow/rain mix, when the sun gets going I think it will just change back to a cold rain."
Still, any rain will feel plenty cold Friday. Highs are forecast in the lower 40s.
Temperatures in the upper 40s and lower 50s are forecast for the weekend, with sunshine.