July 18 Weather: Wildfire Smoke Here One More Day

July 18, 2023

Tuesday Update

This is the summer of smoke and our latest round seems to have followed the trend. Each plume of smoke has seemed to be worse than forecast. In addition to the thick haze, we felt it and smelt it yesterday. Today, that haze has settled closer to the ground.

As a result, the air quality has become poor, so the Code Orange forecast has expanded to more of our area.

Air Quality Alert

Code Orange is in effect for Central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Southern Pennsylvania.

Smoke Forecast Snapshot

4 PM Today

This is not as thick as yesterday, but still noticeable and there is more pollution closer to the surface instead of aloft.

Smoke Forecast Through Tuesday

We will be watching this plume move through and disperse. While this afternoon will have moments of dense smoke, it will thin out and tend to disperse tomorrow.

Morning Surface Weather

While the smoke is still here, and we have our Code Orange Air Quality forecast, there is help on the way. The next cold front will slowly arrive Wednesday night into Thursday. This will bring more showers and thunderstorms, then less humid and less smokey air for the weekend.

Afternoon Temperatures

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2023 Hurricane Season Forecast With An El Niño Watch

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CLIMATE DATA

TODAY July 18

Normal Low in Baltimore:  68ºF

Record 57ºF in 2014

Normal High in Baltimore: 89ºF

Record 104ºF 2012

Wednesday Weather

Morning Temperatures

Afternoon Temperatures

Radar Simulation Noon to Midnight

We have a 30% chance for T’storms.

Looking Ahead

Thursday to Saturday

The most active day for thunderstorms should be Thursday. Then as the front shifts to the east, we dry out this weekend.

7 Day Forecast

The smoke will clear, with the help of thunderstorms. The peak day for storms should be Thursday. Then we look forward to a dry weekend.

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RESTATING MY MESSAGE ABOUT DYSLEXIA

I am aware there are some spelling and grammar typos and occasional other glitches. I take responsibility for my mistakes, and even the computer glitches I may miss. I have made a few public statements over the years, but if you are new here you may have missed it: I have dyslexia, and found out during my second year at Cornell University. It didn’t stop me from getting my meteorology degree, and being the first to get the AMS CBM in the Baltimore/Washington region. One of my professors told me that I had made it that far without knowing, and to not let it be a crutch going forward. That was Mark Wysocki and he was absolutely correct! I do miss my mistakes in my own proofreading. The autocorrect spell check on my computer sometimes does an injustice to make it worse. I also can make mistakes in forecasting. No one is perfect predicting the future. All of the maps and information are accurate. The ‘wordy’ stuff can get sticky.  There has been no editor that can check my work when I needed it and have it ready to send out in a newsworthy timeline. Barbara Werner is a member of the web team that helps me maintain this site. She has taken it upon herself to edit typos, when she is able. That could be AFTER you read this. I accept this and perhaps proves what you read is really from me… It’s part of my charm.

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