Oakland, MD – Residents across the high-elevation regions of western Maryland, northern Virginia, and eastern West Virginia should brace for freezing overnight temperatures. The National Weather Service in Baltimore/Washington has issued a Freeze Warning in effect from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday.
Forecasters expect sub-freezing lows around 30 degrees, impacting areas including Garrett and Allegany Counties in Maryland, Highland, Rockingham, Augusta, and Shenandoah Counties in Virginia, and Grant, Mineral, Hampshire, Hardy, and Pendleton Counties in West Virginia.
According to meteorologists, these freezing conditions could kill crops and sensitive outdoor vegetation and may also damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. Residents are advised to cover or bring in plants, drain garden hoses, and wrap exterior faucets before temperatures fall overnight.
Clear skies and calm winds will promote efficient cooling, leading to widespread frost and localized hard freeze conditions, particularly in valleys and rural areas.
By late Friday morning, sunshine should raise temperatures back into the 50s. However, another cold night is possible Friday into Saturday before a modest weekend warm-up.
This will likely be the first hard freeze of the season for much of the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Highlands.
