A gloomy sky and patchy drizzle are in the forecast through early Thursday afternoon across greater Baltimore. A few rain showers are also possible through the lunch hour. The odds of seeing sunshine increase heading into the afternoon. Southern Maryland and neighborhoods closer to D.C. will see bigger breaks in the cloudy conditions.

Temperatures warm into the mid and upper 70s. A few spots southwest of Baltimore could briefly hit 80° Thursday afternoon. As temperatures warm this afternoon, spotty showers and thunderstorms will develop. There is a greater chance of rain and thunder across northern Virginia, into southern Maryland.

If you're headed to the O's game this afternoon, we're looking at mostly cloudy, warm, and humid weather. Temperatures will be in the low to mid 70s for the first pitch at 12:35 pm against the Twins. Expect a mostly cloudy and mostly dry game with temperatures staying in the 70s. The chance of rain remains hit-or-miss across Baltimore.

Scattered strong thunderstorms will be possible Friday and Saturday in Maryland. Friday has two rounds of potential storms that we are tracking. One round in the morning, possible between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. and a second round after 4 p.m. Any storms on Friday could have drenching downpours, lightning, hail, and gusty winds. The best chance for any severe weather would be late Friday afternoon and evening. 

An additional round of strong thunderstorms are possible overnight Friday and Saturday afternoon. Any storms would contain frequent lightning, downpours, gusty winds, and hail. The timing and coverage of these storms are still a bit uncertain right now, but any storms that do form have the potential to become severe.  

It is possible that the WJZ First Alert Weather Team will need to issue a First Alert Weather Day(s) for severe storms Friday and/or Saturday as new information arrives. So please keep checking back for updates.

Saturday's forecast for the Preakness is improving. Any storms that form on Saturday look to be rather isolated and also fast-moving. So even in the worst case scenario, a 45 to 60 minute passing thunderstorm is possible Saturday afternoon at Pimlico. The bigger story will be the afternoon heat and humidity with temperatures in the mid to upper 80s with high humidity. Heat index values will top out in the lower 90s. 

By the time the main race begins (7:01 PM), any isolated storms should be over. Temperatures will be in the lower 80s with clearing skies, breezy weather, and falling humidity.

Excellent outdoor weather returns Sunday and Monday with a gusty and refreshing northwest breeze, low humidity, and comfortable temperatures. With plenty of sunshine, high temperatures will reach the middle to upper 70s. Both days look exceptionally comfortable and dry.

An unsettled and wet weather pattern will return mid to late next week as an area of low pressure meanders across our area. This will mean cloudy skies with rounds of rain. Temperatures will turn dramatically cooler again with highs in the mid to upper 60s. Showers will begin Wednesday and more rounds of rain will continue through the rest of next week.