Baltimore, Maryland – St. Patrick’s Day week across Maryland could arrive with a final surge of winter as colder air pushing south from Canada raises the potential for late-season snow just days before the official start of spring.
According to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 day outlook, the period from March 15 through March 21 favors above-normal precipitation across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, while temperatures across much of the eastern United States trend below seasonal averages. The setup forms as a broad cold boundary stretches from Maine through the Great Lakes and south toward Georgia and parts of northern Florida, allowing colder Canadian air to spill down the East Coast.
That pattern could place Baltimore, Frederick, Hagerstown, Annapolis, and Cumberland in a corridor where storm systems moving along the coast interact with colder air, raising the possibility of late-season snow or rain changing to snow during St. Patrick’s Day week.
Drivers along major routes including Interstate 95, Interstate 70, Interstate 83, and Interstate 270 should monitor conditions if storms develop during the period. Even light snowfall in mid-March can create slick bridges and reduced visibility during early morning commutes.
The timing stands out as daylight saving time begins this weekend, yet winterlike conditions may linger across the Mid-Atlantic even as the first day of spring arrives later that week.
Forecasters are expected to refine storm timing and temperature trends over the coming days, and additional advisories could be issued if coastal systems align with the colder air mass across the region.
