The Baltimore area hit 90 degrees for the first time since Aug. 10 on Monday, tying a heat record set in 2002.
Temperatures briefly passed the milestone at BWI Marshall Airport at 3:51 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. It was the hottest day of a year that has already been marked with warmer-than-average temperatures.
And the heat is not likely to linger — cooler weather was expected to move in behind a cold front overnight Monday.
A high-pressure system settled over the Carolinas and sent warm southerly winds heating the region and keeping it dry, said Carrie Suffern, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sterling, Va. A cold front was expected to move through the region Monday night, bringing temperatures down to the mid-70s Tuesday.
While some precipitation is coming along with the front, it's expected to dissipate and keep things dry in the Baltimore region. No rain is expected to make up a deficit of more than an inch and a half for the month and five inches for the year until Saturday. Baltimore city, eastern Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County are under moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The conditions Monday brought with them a slight decrease in air quality, with air particle pollution reaching moderate levels, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. And they also worsened an already early and active allergy season, with tree pollen counts at their highest levels, according to data from the Weather Channel.
That was no bother to Baltimoreans like George Davis, flocking to the outdoors despite the start to the work week. Davis, a budget analyst for the Maryland Port Administration, stepped out of his office Monday afternoon to enjoy the weather and watch a crane dredging the Inner Harbor.
"It's nice to get a little break for the hands and the eyes and get a little pollen in the system," Davis said.
The weather was also a taste of summer vacation for families on spring break trips visiting downtown. The heat wasn't part of the plan for a second annual trip to Washington and Baltimore for the Wagner family from Saco, Maine, but it was welcome.
Allie Wagner, a red-haired 7-year-old who declared she wanted to be a marine biologist after watching the dolphin show at the National Aquarium, had big plans to enjoy her last afternoon of vacation.
"We're going to ride on some boats," Wagner said.
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