Winter in Charm City usually feels like a giant coin toss. One day you’re walking through Inner Harbor with a light jacket, and the next, you're digging out your heavy-duty parka because the wind coming off the Patapsco River is trying to freeze your eyelashes off. Honestly, if you’ve lived here long enough, you know that a "typical" January is anything but typical.
Right now, the weather 15 day forecast Baltimore MD is showing some serious teeth. We are currently sitting in the middle of a classic arctic push that is making 34°F feel significantly worse than it sounds.
The Immediate Outlook: Bracing for the Chill
Today, Thursday, January 15, 2026, we’ve got a high of 34°F, which sounds manageable until you factor in that 15 mph wind from the west. The sky is clear, but that sun is doing basically nothing to warm things up. By tonight, we’re dropping down to a low of 23°F. It’s the kind of cold that makes your car take an extra second to turn over in the morning.
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Tomorrow, Friday, January 16, things stay pretty consistent during the day with a high of 36°F and partly sunny skies. But don't let that fool you. As we head into Friday night, the chance of snow jumps up to 35%. It's not a blizzard, but enough to make the Saturday morning coffee run a bit more interesting.
Why the Weekend Forecast is Tricky
Saturday, January 17, is where things get messy. We’re looking at a high of 43°F, which normally would be a relief. However, we have a 40% chance of a rain and snow mix during the day. This is the classic Baltimore "slop" scenario—not cold enough for beautiful, fluffy snow, but just cold enough to turn the sidewalk into a gray, slushy nightmare.
Sunday, January 18, brings the clouds back with a high of 36°F. If you have plans to be outside, Sunday is probably the better bet compared to Saturday, even if it is a bit chillier, simply because it’s looking drier.
Looking Ahead: The Polar Plunge Early Next Week
If you think this week is cold, wait until Monday and Tuesday.
Monday, January 19, stays at a high of 36°F, but the overnight low is going to bottom out at 15°F. That’s a significant drop. Tuesday, January 20, is going to be the coldest day of this stretch, with a daytime high only reaching 24°F. When you add the 16 mph winds we’re expecting, the wind chill is going to be brutal.
- Monday, Jan 19: High 36°F / Low 15°F (Sunny)
- Tuesday, Jan 20: High 24°F / Low 15°F (Sunny but windy)
- Wednesday, Jan 21: High 35°F / Low 22°F (Partly sunny)
Basically, if you haven’t insulated your pipes or checked your heater yet, do it before Sunday night.
The Back Half of the 15-Day Forecast
As we move toward the end of next week and into the following weekend, the temperatures start to moderate slightly, but the precipitation chances start to climb again.
Thursday, January 22, and Friday, January 23, will both see highs around 39°F. Friday night actually brings a 45% chance of light snow. This leads us into a fairly active weekend. Saturday, January 24, currently shows a 65% chance of snow showers with a high of 40°F. Sunday, January 25, mirrors that 65% chance but looks more like a rain and snow mix as we hit a high of 35°F.
Real Talk on Baltimore Winter Patterns
A lot of people think Baltimore gets buried in snow every year, but the reality is we are often stuck in the "transition zone." Meteorologists like Justin Berk often talk about the "lack of phasing" between the northern and southern branches of the jet stream. When they don't team up, we get these little "disturbances"—occasional snow showers and flurries rather than the massive Nor'easters that hit New England.
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Current data from the National Weather Service and the Atlantic Corridor long-range reports suggest that while this January is technically about 2 degrees below average, we are actually seeing less total precipitation than a standard year. It's just that the precipitation we are getting is coming in these frequent, small wintry bursts.
How to Handle This Forecast
Don't let the 40°F highs on the weekend fool you into thinking the ice will melt quickly. With overnight lows consistently in the teens and 20s, anything that melts during the day is going to refreeze into "black ice" by the time you're heading to work the next morning.
- Check your tire pressure. These 20-degree swings cause your TPMS light to pop on like clockwork.
- Salt the North-facing side of your house. Those areas don't get enough sun to melt the Saturday/Sunday slush, and they will stay icy for days.
- Layer up for Tuesday. The 24°F high with 16 mph winds is the real danger zone for frostbite if you're outside for more than 20-30 minutes.
The weather 15 day forecast Baltimore MD shows a clear trend: we are in the heart of winter. It’s cold, it’s occasionally snowy, and it’s definitely not the time to put away the heavy coats. Keep an eye on that Saturday/Sunday window for potential travel delays, especially if the "mix" turns more toward the "snow" side of the spectrum.