Maryland Climate Bulletin (Winter 2024-2025)

[dallen7908]

Good afternoon,

 

We now share the seasonal Maryland Climate Bulletin for winter 2024-25. 

 

You can access the winter Bulletin from the following link:

https://www2.atmos.umd.edu/~climate/Bulletin/bulletin_mdsco_win25.pdf

 

Points to highlight are:

 

1) Winter 2024-25 was colder and drier than normal (i.e., 1991-2020 averages) in Maryland, with warmer and wetter-than-normal conditions in February, but colder and drier-than-normal conditions in January and December.

 

2) The mean temperature was colder than normal everywhere in the state, especially in southeastern Baltimore and Harford counties, Kent, Queen Anne’s counties (2.4−2.8°F below), Caroline County, and portions of Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico and Worcester counties (2.2‒2.6°F below), and Garrett County (2.2‒2.4°F below). Precipitation was below normal over almost the entire state, particularly in Harford and Kent Counties, portions of Cecil and Queen Anne’s counties (4‒4.8 inches below), and counties in the Piedmont (2.8‒3.6 inches below). The regions with the maximum deficit over the state's northeast received around 55−60% of their climatological winter precipitation.

 

3) The partial water year 2025 (October 2024 − February 2025) was below normal across the entire state, especially over Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and northern Caroline counties (8−9 inches below); this region received 45−50% of its climatological water amount. The counties in the central and western Piedmont, as well as Washington and eastern Allegany counties, received 50−55% of their normal water amount. Somerset and Wicomico counties received 70−75% of their climatological water amount, while Garrett County got 80−95% of its normal water amount.

 

4) Statewide mean temperatures showed that winter 2024-25 was the seventy-second coldest winter (or fifty-ninth warmest) since 1896. Statewide maximum temperatures indicated that this winter was the sixty-ninth coldest (or sixty-second warmest), while statewide minimum temperatures showed this winter was the seventy-fourth coldest (or fifty-seventh warmest) winter on record.

 

5) Statewide precipitation revealed that winter 2024-25 was the nineteenth driest winter and among the ten driest for four counties. It was the seventh driest winter for Carroll and Harford counties and the fifth driest for Kent and Queen Anne’s counties. This winter was also the twelfth driest for Talbot and Washington counties and the eleventh for Baltimore and Caroline counties.

 

Please take a look at the bulletin for more details, including the winter century-plus long trends.

 

The bulletins are issued to monitor the state's recent surface temperature and precipitation conditions in a simple format, allowing Marylanders to better understand regional climate variations.

 

Please help disseminate this bulletin.