As of Thursday, much of Maryland was under a National Weather Service cold weather warning, with temperatures plunging below freezing.
“It's a pretty strong impact in terms of how cold it is. We're not breaking any daily records, but it's certainly going to keep temperatures well below normal,” Weather Service meteorologist Brendan Rubin- Oster said.
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He said temperatures were 10 to 20 degrees below average.
Harford County Public Schools and Carroll County Public Schools will reopen for two hours Wednesday night as they still deal with the aftermath of this weekend's snow showers and icy road conditions.
Baltimore County schools also experienced two-hour delays Wednesday, with morning pre-kindergarten classes canceled.
The Baltimore City Health Department has announced a “Code Blue” aimed at reducing deaths from hypothermia among homeless people, seniors and other groups vulnerable to extreme cold. It sparked several public safety initiatives, including the Salvation Army’s free hot drinks program.
A “Code Blue” was in effect Sunday night after a body was recovered from a burning vacant house on North Main Street and is expected to remain in effect through Thursday.
Additionally, the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services has extended its “Code Purple” winter shelter activation time to 9 a.m. Thursday, extending the opening hours of city-operated shelters. Residents in need of emergency shelter should call the Baltimore City Shelter Hotline at 443-984-9540.
As happened earlier this month, this latest cold snap comes from disruptions in the polar vortex, the ring of cold air that normally traps the Arctic.
Rubin-Oster explained that as the jet stream that brought snow to Louisiana this week weakens, the Baltimore area should see a return to normal temperatures.
Wednesday is expected to be sunny with a high of around 21 degrees and wind chills in the single digits. Wednesday night's low temperature will be around 15 degrees.
The weather department said the weather will be slightly warmer on Thursday, with a maximum temperature of about 32 degrees and a minimum of about 21 degrees.
This slight warming trend is expected to continue on Friday, when the maximum temperature will reach around 33 degrees and the minimum temperature will be close to 17 degrees.
Forecasts say highs will be around 36 degrees on Saturday and lows will be in the upper 20s, while on Sunday the high could climb to a more seasonal 44 degrees for the first time in a week.
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