Cold Front

A low-pressure system that moved through Hagerstown on  Tuesday left almost three-quarters of an inch of rain in the area, but a cold front behind it is expected to help dry out the region, according to weather forecasters. It also appears New Year's Eve revelers might be spared any bad weather, the National Weather Service said. Although the weather service initially only forecast a tenth to a quarter of an inch of rain for Tuesday, 0.74 inch fell in Hagerstown during the day, according to weather observer Greg Keefer's website at i4weather.net . Tuesday's forecast was based on a radar reading, which can vary, said Heather Sheffield, a weather service meteorologist in Sterling, Va. The rain is expected to be followed by a cold front that will bring windy conditions Wednesday, with gusts up to 37 mph, the weather service said.

An upper-level weather system ahead of a cold front left 0.72 inches of rain in Hagerstown on Tuesday, weather officials said. Most of the rain had moved through the area as of 4:30 p.m., said Heather Sheffield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sterling, Va. At that time, more showers and thunderstorms were moving through West Virginia, and a 50 percent chance of rain was still in the outlook for Hagerstown, Sheffield said....

By VANDANA SINHA Staff Writer After a weekend of hot and humid weather, Tri-State area residents should get some relief from a cold front that was expected to gradually settle in overnight Monday. The cold front is blowing in from the north, bringing with it mostly sunny weather, reduced temperatures and low humidity this week, said National Weather Service forecasts. The temperatures should remain in the 80-degree range, unlike the weekend highs that reached the mid-90s, according to the National Weather Service.

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Severe thunderstorms passed through Washington County on Tuesday afternoon and evening as a cold front moved across the region, bringing a break from the intense heat of the past few days, a National Weather Service meterologist said. A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect in Washington County and Berkeley and Morgan counties in West Virginia from 6:37 p.m. until 7:15 p.m., meterologist Jared Klein said. There were reports of hail damage and downed trees in the Baltimore/Washington area, Klein said.

Temperatures soared again into the 90s Tuesday, bringing the area within half a degree of a record high temperature for May 31. The month ended with a high of 93.5 degrees — just shy of the day record of 94 degrees established in 1991, according to Hagerstown weather watcher Greg Keefer's website i4weather.net. Humidity spiked to 97 percent early Tuesday morning, and the heat index made it feel like it was more than 100 degrees outside, the website said.   The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory Tuesday for parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia that was expected to reappear this afternoon.

Towson University nursing students Shara Greulich, left, Ashley Smith, center, and Kylie Goswick, right, took advantage of Tuesday's warm temperatures and did a little studying lakeside at Hagerstown's City Park. The high reached 79 degrees in Hagerstown on Tuesday. Tuesday was the last nice warm day expected as a cold front is predicted to move into the area for the Easter weekend.

erinc@herald-mail.com The chilly air and light breeze Monday in Washington County was the area's first taste of fall weather. While it seemed more seasonable than the 80-degree days that have been common in the first weeks of September, the region's weather was indirectly affected by Hurricane Rita, Accuweather meteorologist Henry Margusity said. Moisture from the hurricane met with a cold front moving through the area and into Canada, causing light rain and wind gusts Monday, he said.

A cold front passing over Western Maryland this week brought with it rain that helped push the rainfall total for September above 7 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Sterling, Va. On Tuesday, .34 inches of rain fell. On Wednesday, gray skies and drizzle throughout the day gave way to heavy rain beginning around 6:30 p.m. By 9:30 p.m., .54 inches of rain had been recorded by Hagerstown Weather Observer Greg Keefer. This month was the sixth wettest September on record since 1926 with more than 33.02 inches of rain, according to Keefer's Web site.

The past few days of record-breaking 90-degree temperatures has it seeming more like mid-summer than early fall, but cooler weather is in sight, Hagerstown Weather Observer Greg Keefer said Wednesday. Highs are expected to be in the low to mid-80s for the rest of the week, Keefer said. "We should see a gradual cool-down over the next couple of days, with a stronger cold front coming in Monday night into Tuesday," he said. Next week, temperatures will be in the 70s under partly sunny skies, he said.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources officials will decide today whether a burning ban will remain in effect across the state or be lifted in some counties. The burning ban, which went into effect Nov. 26, prohibits open burning near wooded areas and in state parks and other public woodlands. Rain fell across most of the state over the past two days, but in varying amounts, according to John Surrick, DNR public communications officer. Surrick said Eric Schwaab, of DNR's forest and wildlife division, Forester Alan Zentz and others will make the decision.

Today is the first day of spring, but gardening, fishing an other outdoor activities might have to wait because the cold weather isn't ready to loosen its grip on the area. Temperatures are not expected to get higher than the low 50s for the rest of March with another cold front possibly moving in this week, said Steve Goldstein, meteorologist for the National Weather Service based in Sterling, Va. “It's looking like for the next 10 days we're going to have lower than normal temperatures in the mid-Atlantic,” he said Tuesday.

Friday marked the eighth straight day in which the high temperature in Hagerstown reached at least 90 degrees, according to i4weather.net, a website maintained by local weather observer Greg Keefer. On five  of those days, including Friday, the high temperature reached at least 95 degrees, Keefer's records showed. The heat is expected to continue through the weekend, with temperatures in the 90s forecast through Sunday, the National Weather Service said. On Friday, Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland and and Berkeley and Jefferson counties in West Virginia were under an extreme heat watch, according to the National Weather Service.

An upper-level weather system ahead of a cold front left 0.72 inches of rain in Hagerstown on Tuesday, weather officials said. Most of the rain had moved through the area as of 4:30 p.m., said Heather Sheffield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sterling, Va. At that time, more showers and thunderstorms were moving through West Virginia, and a 50 percent chance of rain was still in the outlook for Hagerstown, Sheffield said....

A low-pressure system that moved through Hagerstown on  Tuesday left almost three-quarters of an inch of rain in the area, but a cold front behind it is expected to help dry out the region, according to weather forecasters. It also appears New Year's Eve revelers might be spared any bad weather, the National Weather Service said. Although the weather service initially only forecast a tenth to a quarter of an inch of rain for Tuesday, 0.74 inch fell in Hagerstown during the day, according to weather observer Greg Keefer's website at i4weather.net . Tuesday's forecast was based on a radar reading, which can vary, said Heather Sheffield, a weather service meteorologist in Sterling, Va. The rain is expected to be followed by a cold front that will bring windy conditions Wednesday, with gusts up to 37 mph, the weather service said.

Temperatures soared again into the 90s Tuesday, bringing the area within half a degree of a record high temperature for May 31. The month ended with a high of 93.5 degrees — just shy of the day record of 94 degrees established in 1991, according to Hagerstown weather watcher Greg Keefer's website i4weather.net. Humidity spiked to 97 percent early Tuesday morning, and the heat index made it feel like it was more than 100 degrees outside, the website said.   The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory Tuesday for parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia that was expected to reappear this afternoon.

HAGERSTOWN -- With temperatures in the 90s for the third straight day, snow cones and sodas were the most popular choices Monday afternoon at the snack bar in City Park. Teresa Connolly of Hagerstown and her grandson were eating snow cones with some friends at a picnic table in the park. "I'm truly enjoying this," Connolly said of the weather as she fed 2-year-old Caidan Baker the frozen treat. Connolly said she spent time with family at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania and on the river this weekend.

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Severe thunderstorms passed through Washington County on Tuesday afternoon and evening as a cold front moved across the region, bringing a break from the intense heat of the past few days, a National Weather Service meterologist said. A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect in Washington County and Berkeley and Morgan counties in West Virginia from 6:37 p.m. until 7:15 p.m., meterologist Jared Klein said. There were reports of hail damage and downed trees in the Baltimore/Washington area, Klein said.

HAGERSTOWN - The official start of spring is more than two weeks away, but around Hagerstown on Monday, residents were more than ready to leave their winter coats at home as temperatures rose into the upper 60s. A Hagerstown weather station recorded a high of 67.9 degrees Monday afternoon, about 20 degrees higher than the city's normal high this time of year, according to data from www.i4weather.net . The record high for March 3 was 72 degrees in 1923, according to the site.

An arctic air mass that began in the Northern Plains and Great Lakes region shifted east, bringing with it a cold front across Maryland and much of the northeast Wednesday, according to an AccuWeather meteorologist. Rob Miller said the cold spell is expected to last through the weekend, but temperatures will warm up next week. "By Tuesday, temperatures should start moderating back into the 50s," Miller said Wednesday. Temperatures on Easter Sunday are expected to be close to those of Christmas Day 2006, Miller said.

Towson University nursing students Shara Greulich, left, Ashley Smith, center, and Kylie Goswick, right, took advantage of Tuesday's warm temperatures and did a little studying lakeside at Hagerstown's City Park. The high reached 79 degrees in Hagerstown on Tuesday. Tuesday was the last nice warm day expected as a cold front is predicted to move into the area for the Easter weekend.