CUMBERLAND — Just as spring arrives early this week, a powerful front reminiscent of late March will rocket through Western Maryland and the Potomac Highlands with gusty winds Wednesday.
Temperatures are going to reach well into the 60s by Wednesday afternoon. A cold front with roots in the northern Rockies will then rocket across the region between 4 and 9 p.m. Briefly heavy rain, peak gusts reaching 45-50 mph and temperatures quickly dropping 20 degrees within 3 hours will accompany the front.
Dynamic fronts of this magnitude can produce low-topped thunderstorms on their leading edge that produce very little lightning but are warned by the weather service. Common protocol for severe thunderstorm warnings is to seek shelter inside a sturdy building away from windows.
Regardless of any thunderstorms along the front’s leading edge, wind advisories will likely be issued ahead of the event Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. The sharp increase in gusts will likely trigger at least scattered power outages, particularly above 2,000 feet.
West of state Route 36, a brief period of snow on the front’s back end may drop a coating Wednesday night.
After a quick glancing blow of chilly temperatures early Thursday, the region will return to its spring preview to close the week and start March.
Wednesday’s front will be reminiscent of February 25, 2006, when the temperature dropped from 61 degrees to 28 degrees in 12 hours with a frontal passage. Sustained or constant wind speeds reached 26 mph and the gust hit 43 mph at the Cumberland Regional Airport during that frontal passage.