Maryland, 1997

Heat in Maryland, August 16 to 17, 1997

August 16 to 17, 1997 · NWS LWX · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

West winds circulating around a "Bermuda" high pressure system allowed temperatures to soar during the weekend of the 16th and 17th. Maximum temperatures were near or just above the century mark across most of northern and central Maryland east of the Allegheny Highlands both days.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
50
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
14

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.

West winds circulating around a "Bermuda" high pressure system allowed temperatures to soar during the weekend of the 16th and 17th. Maximum temperatures were near or just above the century mark across most of northern and central Maryland east of the Allegheny Highlands both days. Heat index values ranged from 105 to 110 each day, but aside from several heat exhaustion cases, it appeared that at-risk residents remained in air conditioned locations. No heat-related deaths were reported by the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. However, one person perished from heat-induced cardiac arrest while attending a baseball game in downtown Baltimore during the middle of the afternoon on the 17th.A record maximum was achieved at Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) on the 16th (101 degrees), and the maximum temperature of 100 degrees on the 17th equalled an existing record. The heat wave was shattered by a strong cold front which was accompanied by strong to severe thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening of the 17th.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Allegany

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Allegany forecast zone

Heat, Washington

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Coordinates
39.604, -77.814 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Frederick

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Frederick forecast zone
Coordinates
39.472, -77.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Carroll

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Coordinates
39.563, -77.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Northern Baltimore

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Baltimore forecast zone
Coordinates
39.443, -76.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Harford

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Harford forecast zone

Heat, Montgomery

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Injuries
5 direct, 0 indirect

Heat, Howard

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Howard forecast zone

Heat, Southern Baltimore

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Baltimore forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
30 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
39.367, -76.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Prince Georges

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Prince Georges forecast zone
Injuries
5 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
38.830, -76.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Anne Arundel

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Anne Arundel forecast zone
Injuries
10 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
38.994, -76.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Charles

When
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 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
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 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
August 16, 11:00 AM EST to August 17, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Calvert forecast zone
Coordinates
38.535, -76.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Heat, Southern Baltimore1997-08-1777MaleOutside/Open AreasDirect

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 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, August 1997

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: 5615599, 5615600, 5615601, 5615602, 5615603, 5615604, 5615605, 5615606, 5615607, 5615608, 5615609, 5615610, 5615611, 5615612.