Friday forecast: Cloudy, chance of storms, high near 70

Wind advisory in effect Friday afternoon

The National Weather Service is calling for Friday to be cloudy in the Baltimore area, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms, a high near 70 and light winds becoming southwesterly between 14 and 17 miles per hour, gusting as high as 37 miles per hour. There is a 40 percent chance of showers before 10 a.m. and then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch are possible, but thunderstorms could cause that amount to increase.

The weather service has a wind advisory in effect from 3 p.m. Friday until midnight for the Baltimore area. A wind advisory means that wind gusts over 45 miles per hour are expected, and that can make driving difficult, especially for "high-profile" vehicles. Forecasters say the strongest winds will be late Friday afternoon through Friday evening, when gusts could reach 55 miles per hour. They advise motorists to use extra caution.

Friday night is expected to be partly cloudy and windy, with a low around 40 and west winds between 20 and 30 miles per hour, gusting up to 55 miles per hour.

A gale warning is in effect Friday night for the Maryland Chesapeake Bay and the tidal Potomac River. In addition, forecasters say, a storm warning may be needed for portions of the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River Friday afternoon and night. They say thunderstorms will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts and hail and that the best chance for severe thunderstorms will be along and east of the I-95 corridor.

Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 52 and west winds between 17 and 24 miles per hour.

Saturday night is expected to be mostly clear, with a low around 32 and west winds 15 to 18 miles per hour, decreasing to 7 to 10 miles per hour.