Maryland, 1996

Heat in Maryland, May 18 to 21, 1996

May 18 to 21, 1996 · NWS LWX · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

An early-season four-day heat wave, following a period of cool and generally cloudy weather, took it's toll on outdoor enthusiasts who were unprepared for the dramatic temperature swing. Two persons suffered heat stroke in Washington Co (MDZ003), requiring hospitalization.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
2
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
13

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.

An early-season four-day heat wave, following a period of cool and generally cloudy weather, took it's toll on outdoor enthusiasts who were unprepared for the dramatic temperature swing. Two persons suffered heat stroke in Washington Co (MDZ003), requiring hospitalization. Temperatures for the period averaged in the mid to upper 90s, yet less than a week earlier, fruit crops in western Maryland were threatened by subfreezing temperatures. In fact, daily maxima one and two days prior to the heat wave were in the 60s. Several record high temperatures were shattered, including two at Patuxent River NAS (MDZ017) on the 19th and 20th. In fact, Patuxent River NAS was the sole official site to reach the century mark (on the 20th). Potomac Electric Power Co (PEPCO) induced a small-scale "brownout" in the Washington Metropolitan area to reduce energy consumption.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Washington

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
39.604, -77.814 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Frederick

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Frederick forecast zone
Coordinates
39.472, -77.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Carroll

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Coordinates
39.563, -77.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Northern Baltimore

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Baltimore forecast zone
Coordinates
39.443, -76.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Harford

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Harford forecast zone

Heat, Montgomery

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone

Heat, Howard

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Howard forecast zone

Heat, Southern Baltimore

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Baltimore forecast zone
Coordinates
39.367, -76.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Prince Georges

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Prince Georges forecast zone
Coordinates
38.830, -76.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Anne Arundel

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Anne Arundel forecast zone
Coordinates
38.994, -76.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Charles

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Charles forecast zone
Coordinates
38.474, -77.013 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, St. Mary'S

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
St. Mary'S forecast zone
Coordinates
38.216, -76.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Calvert

When
May 18, 2:00 PM EST to May 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Calvert forecast zone
Coordinates
38.535, -76.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maryland in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, May 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5555141, 5555142, 5555143, 5555144, 5555310, 5555311, 5555312, 5555313, 5555314, 5555315, 5555316, 5555317, 5555318.