Weather

Scattered showers are possible in the Baltimore region on Thursday as temperatures reach the upper 40s under cloudy skies, according to the National Weather Service. There is a 30 percent chance of rain during the day, with a slight chance of showers in the evening as well, when temperatures will likely drop to the low 30s, the weather service said. It will be cloudy overnight and then partly sunny Friday morning, followed by more cloud cover and a chance of flurries Friday afternoon, the service said.

Clouds and mild temperatures are in the forecast for the Baltimore area Wednesday, with highs near 60 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters expect it could be the warmest day of the month, particularly with clouds and fog clearing more quickly than expected by mid-morning, according to a forecast discussion from the weather service's Baltimore/Washington forecast office. The month's high so far was 59 degrees on Feb. 15. A chance of showers was expected to linger into the morning after overnight rains.

4:30 p.m. update: The flood watch for the Baltimore region has been canceled, though the coastal flood advisory remained in effect. Forecasters are calling for up to an inch of rainfall. Original post, as of 3 p.m.:  A high chance of rain throughout Tuesday afternoon and evening has caused the National Weather Service to issue a flood watch for much of the Baltimore region, starting at 3 p.m. Streams and low-lying areas could flood, and minor tidal flooding is also possible, the weather service said.

Snow and sleet could move into a cloudy Baltimore region on Friday afternoon, complicating the afternoon commute and changing to rain or freezing rain in the evening hours, according to the National Weather Service. But forecasters said Friday morning the chances of any meaningful precipitation for the Baltimore area are waning. According to Foot's Forecast, " the storm has really fizzled before it can bring a hazardous commute today, but some smaller impacts are expected. " Foot's meteorologists note that the area hasn't seen a "signicant" snowfall in two years, since 2-6 inches fell Feb. 21-22, 2011.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory in the Baltimore area until 6 a.m. Saturday, saying freezing rain and a trace accumulation of ice could pose travel hazards. With overnight temperatures in the lower 30s, sidewalks and untreated roads, especially bridges and overpasses, may prove slippery, the weather service said. Drivers were encouraged to exercise caution on the road. Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

The Baltimore region will stay cool and windy through Thursday, with sunny and mostly clear skies through the evening, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will reach the upper-30s, with northwest winds between 15 and 20 mph and gusts of up to 35 mph, the weather service said. It will become mostly cloudly in the region tonight, with lows in the mid-20s. On Friday afternoon, snow and sleet are likely in the region, but no accumulation is expected, with temperatures reaching the upper-30s, the weather service said.

Jill Sorensen's basement flooded after a winter storm knocked out her power, then again in 2011 during Hurricane Irene. What stopped another encore performance during last year's derecho? She'd installed a sump pump that uses her home's water pressure to kick in when the power conks out. Knock on wood, she hasn't had a flood since. That purchase — about $800 — is one of several moves she's made to prepare her home for bad weather. "We've taken the inevitability of storms more seriously," said Sorensen, who lives in North Baltimore.

Part data collectors, part tour guides — with a dash of personality for good measure — the 10 yellow navigational markers that make up the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System have been a hit with the public and weather forecasters since their launch in 2007. So much so that the American Meteorological Society singled out their creator, NOAA oceanographer Doug Wilson, at its annual meeting last month and presented him with one of its top awards. "I know he had a lot of help, but he saw the potential and ran with it. He was relentless," said Mark Bushnell, a Virginia meteorologist who nominated Wilson for the Francis W. Reichelderfer Award, given to a person who contributes to the public's understanding of science.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for northern counties from 4 a.m. through 10 a.m. Friday, with up to an inch or two of snow mixed with sleet and freezing rain expected as a major snowstorm heads northeast to slam New England. The advisory applies to Carroll, northern Baltimore and Harford counties. The precipitation is expected to turn to rain for all of the Baltimore area by mid-morning. Forecast maps updated Thursday afternoon called for the heaviest snow, possibly 1-2 inches, in Harford County and northeastern Baltimore County.

In New Orleans, there's good weather for a championship. Fans making their way to the Superdome this afternoon in New Orleans to watch the Baltimore Ravens take on the San Francisco 49ers for an NFL title won't have weather to slow them down - or rain on their tailgate parties. According to the National Weather Service, New Orleans, La., is experiencing partly cloudy skies and temperatures capping out in the low 60s. Winds are fairly mild, at about 10 mph. The stadium is a dome, of course, but there are plenty of festivities being conducted outside to ramp up to the Super Bowl action.