Forecast Details for Columbia, MD

Recent Locations: Malin, OR Brandon, VT Columbia, MD

Current Alerts for Columbia, MD: Winter Weather Advisory

Today: Snow likely, mainly after 1pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 34. Northeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Tonight: A chance of snow before 2am, then snow and freezing rain likely. Patchy fog between 11pm and 2am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 29. Light southeast wind. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tuesday: Rain and freezing rain, possibly mixed with snow before 7am, then rain, possibly mixed with snow between 7am and 10am, then rain likely after 10am. Patchy fog after 1pm. High near 44. Light and variable wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tuesday Night: Rain. Low around 42. South wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wednesday: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 59. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Wednesday Night: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Thursday: A chance of rain after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday: A chance of rain after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49.

Saturday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday: A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

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Current U.S. National Radar--Current

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National Weather Forecast--Current

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National Weather Forecast for Tomorrow

Tomorrow National Weather Forecast and Tomorrow National Weather Map are show below.

North America Water Vapor (Moisture)

This map shows recent moisture content over North America. Bright and colored areas show high moisture (ie, clouds); brown indicates very little moisture present; black indicates no moisture.

Weather Topic: What are Mammatus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Mammatus Clouds

Mammatus Clouds Next Topic: Nimbostratus Clouds

A mammatus cloud is a cloud with a unique feature which resembles a web of pouches hanging along the base of the cloud.

In the United States, mammatus clouds tend to form in the warmer months, commonly in the Midwest and eastern regions.

While they usually form at the bottom of a cumulonimbis cloud, they can also form under altostratus, altocumulus, stratocumulus, and cirrus clouds. Mammatus clouds warn that severe weather is close.

Next Topic: Nimbostratus Clouds

Weather Topic: What is Precipitation?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Precipitation

Next Topic: Rain

Precipitation can refer to many different forms of water that may fall from clouds. Precipitation occurs after a cloud has become saturated to the point where its water particles are more dense than the air below the cloud.

In most cases, precipitation will reach the ground, but it is not uncommon for precipitation to evaporate before it reaches the earth's surface. When precipitation evaporates before it contacts the ground it is called Virga. Graupel, hail, sleet, rain, drizzle, and snow are forms of precipitation, but fog and mist are not considered precipitation because the water vapor which constitutes them isn't dense enough to fall to the ground.

Next Topic: Rain