Temperatures surged past 80 degrees around lunchtime Monday and rose to 90 degrees, tying a record on the hottest day of the year so far.
BWI Airport hit 90 at 3:51 p.m., according to the National Weather Service, tying a record set in 2002. Sunday's high of 86 degrees was previously the hottest of 2012 to date, while the highest temperature recorded in a March heat wave was 83 degrees.
Normal highs for April 16 in Baltimore are about 65 degrees, and today started two degrees below that. BWI Airport hit a low of 63 degrees around 7 a.m., while downtown didn't get any lower than 68 degrees early this morning.
The dew point reached 67 degrees downtown by 1:30 p.m., meaning sticky and uncomfortable conditions for most people, particularly those sensitive to humidity.
Air pollution was at moderate levels as of noon, meaning sensitive people should avoid prolonged exertion outdoors, according to data from the Maryland Department of the Environment.
The National Weather Service is also again cautioning there is a higher-than-normal risk of wildfire spread today.
