A few intense thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of Wednesday, July 1st, 2020, mainly east of I-95 in central Maryland. The thunderstorms were notable mainly for the hail they produced relatively late in the season.
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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.
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
A few intense thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of Wednesday, July 1st, 2020, mainly east of I-95 in central Maryland. The thunderstorms were notable mainly for the hail they produced relatively late in the season.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 1, 9:02 AM EST, 3 hours 18 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 1002 AM EDT Wed Jul 1 2020 .SYNOPSIS... An upper level low over southwest Maine will slowly weaken as it meanders near the New England coast through Thursday morning, then gradually move offshore Thursday night and Friday. A weak backdoor front will likely approach the area during the second half of the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Shortwave energy around an upper-level low over New England will pass through our area today while a surface trough remains near central Virginia and southern Maryland. Moistening atmosphere amidst steepening mid-level lapse rates/cooling temps aloft associated with upper level trough will likely result in sct-nmrs t-storms late this morning through early evening across central Virginia and for locations near and east of Interstate 95. Farther north and west, instability will be limited and so will forcing. Therefore, coverage will be more isolated. The best thunderstorm coverage is expected to be south of the Capital Beltway toward southern MD and City of Fredericksburg where low-level convergence is strongest, and instability will be highest. Shear is marginal, but when combined with the high instability it does pose a threat for damaging winds and large hail. Convection is expected to shift southeastward into AKQ's CWA after 00Z and should be over by 01 or 02Z tonight. Some patchy dense fog is possible late tonight as skies clear and subsidence builds as heights begin to rise. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... Dry air advection is expected to take place Thu into Fri with little or no convection expected. As upper level trough shifts further offshore, heights will rise over the local area leading to a warming trend. 850 mb temps are expected to rise from 15C at 12Z Thu to 22C by 00Z Sat according to the 00Z ECMWF. This will translate to highs in the mid to upper 90s Fri. Luckily, humidity levels will be comfortable and no heat related headlines are anticipated. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... A fair amount of spread exists within forecast guidance during the long term period. A subtle disturbance embedded within north- northwesterly flow aloft will descend from southern Canada into the western Atlantic late Friday Night into Saturday. At the surface, a backdoor cold front will be driven southward in the wake of the departing disturbance. Guidance differs significantly with respect to the southward progression of the front on Saturday. The 00z Euro keeps the front off to our north, while the GFS, Canadian and UKMET drive backdoor boundaries of differing strengths southward through the area. The European solution would lend itself to sunnier/warmer conditions, with little to no precipitation and highs in the low-mid 90s, while the others would lead to a cloudier/cooler solution, with highs anywhere from the upper 70s to mid 80s, and increased chances for showers and storms. All of the features in play are rather subtle, so forecast confidence remains low. We will continue to monitor forecast trends as we move closer to the weekend. The large scale flow pattern will remain largely the same from the latter half of the weekend through the first few days of the upcoming week. Troughing will reside over the western US, with ridging over the center of the country, and weak flow aloft locally. The eventual location and movement of the potential backdoor boundary on Saturday will be of interest during subsequent days, but remains rather uncertain. At least some threat for diurnal thunderstorm activity will exist each day. With weak flow aloft and no well defined mid-upper level disturbances passing through, terrain and bay breeze circulations could serve as the primary foci for initiation of any storms that do form. && .AVIATION /14Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Sct t-storms expected this afternoon into early evening with brief IFR conditions possible along with gusty winds. Best chance is at BWI, DCA, and CHO. Patchy late night fog is possible. Fair weather Thu and Fri. Turning hotter on Fri. Prevailing VFR conditions are expected at the terminals this weekend, but temporary drops to sub-VFR conditions may be possible in association with any thunderstorms that form. && .MARINE... Sct-nmrs t-storms late this morning into early this evening may produce isolated strong wind gusts that require SMWs. Otherwise, winds 10 kt or less rest of the time. Sub-SCA level winds are expected this weekend. Higher winds may be possible in association with any thunderstorms that form. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...None. MD...None. VA...None. WV...None. MARINE...None. && SYNOPSIS...LFR NEAR TERM...BJL/LFR SHORT TERM...LFR LONG TERM...KJP AVIATION...BJL/LFR/KJP MARINE...BJL/LFR/KJP
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 1020 AM EDT Wed Jul 1 2020 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ011-013-014-016>018-508-VAZ052>057-021000- Chesapeake Bay north of Pooles Island MD- Chesapeake Bay from Pooles Island to Sandy Point MD- Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point to North Beach MD- Chesapeake Bay from North Beach to Drum Point MD- Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA- Tidal Potomac from Key Bridge to Indian Head MD- Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD- Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA- Patapsco River including Baltimore Harbor- Chester River to Queenstown MD-Eastern Bay- Choptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River- Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD- Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island-District of Columbia-Southern Baltimore-Prince Georges- Anne Arundel-Charles-St. Marys-Calvert-Southeast Harford- Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park-Fairfax- Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria-Stafford-Spotsylvania- King George- 1020 AM EDT Wed Jul 1 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay, Tidal Potomac River, and adjacent counties in central Maryland and northern Virginia as well as the District of Columbia. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A few thunderstorms may be severe this afternoon and evening, with damaging wind gusts and large hail being the primary threats. The best chance for severe storms will be southeast of Interstate 95, including the Tidal Potomac and the Maryland Chesapeake Bay. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Above normal temperatures will push afternoon heat indices into upper 90s to near 100 degrees Friday through Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. MDZ003>006-501>507-VAZ025>031-036>040-050-051-501>508-WVZ050>053- 055-501>506-021000- Washington-Frederick MD-Carroll-Northern Baltimore- Extreme Western Allegany-Central and Eastern Allegany- Northwest Montgomery-Central and Southeast Montgomery- Northwest Howard-Central and Southeast Howard-Northwest Harford- Augusta-Rockingham-Shenandoah-Frederick VA-Page-Warren-Clarke- Nelson-Albemarle-Greene-Madison-Rappahannock-Orange-Culpeper- Northern Fauquier-Southern Fauquier-Western Highland- Eastern Highland-Western Loudoun-Eastern Loudoun- Northern Virginia Blue Ridge-Central Virginia Blue Ridge- Hampshire-Morgan-Berkeley-Jefferson-Hardy-Western Grant- Eastern Grant-Western Mineral-Eastern Mineral-Western Pendleton- Eastern Pendleton- 1020 AM EDT Wed Jul 1 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for eastern West Virginia, northern and central Virginia, and central and western Maryland with the exception of Garrett County. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Above normal temperatures will push afternoon heat indices into middle to upper 90s Friday through Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:18 UTC.
5 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Tree damage was reported in the Tintop Hill area, including large (6-inch in diameter) tree limbs that were blown down in the 41000 block of Burnt Mill Drive.
Tree damage was reported in the Benfield area, including numerous large (6-inch in diameter) tree limbs that were blown down near the intersection of Governor Stone Parkway and East West Boulevard.
Quarter size hail was reported near Cape Arthur.
Quarter size hail was reported near Severna Park, including near the intersection of Governor Ritchie Highway and Chautaugua Road.
Quarter to half dollar size hail was reported near Parole and Annapolis, including in the 500 block of Samuel Church Road.
Quarter to ping pong ball size hail was reported near Paroles and Annapolis, including near the intersection of Forest Drive and MD-2 Solomons Island Road, and near the intersection of Admiral Cochrane Drive and MD-2 Solomons Island Road.
Golf ball size hail was reported near Riva, including near the intersection of Riva Road and Forest Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maryland in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, July 2020
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: 900368, 900369, 900370, 900371, 900372, 900373, 900375.