DELMARVA - Coastal communities in Sussex County, Delaware, and Ocean City, Maryland, are expected to see a mild and windy start to the weekend, with showers moving through Friday evening before clearing gives way to calmer weather Saturday.
Southerly winds strengthened Friday ahead of an approaching cold front, with gusts of 20 to 30 mph helping push temperatures into the low to mid-60s inland. Along the coast, including beach communities, readings were expected to stay somewhat cooler because of onshore flow off the colder Atlantic.
Showers will spread across the area from northwest to southeast Friday evening as the cold front advances through the region. A slight chance of thunderstorms also remains in the forecast overnight as a narrow corridor of instability develops ahead of the front.
Rainfall totals in Sussex County and along the Maryland coast are generally expected to range from about one-tenth to one-quarter of an inch, though locally higher amounts are possible in any heavier shower or thunderstorm.
The wet weather is expected to continue into the early overnight hours before ending between midnight and 3 a.m. Saturday. Winds will shift from the south to the northwest by daybreak as the front moves offshore.
Dry conditions and clearing skies are then expected to settle in for Saturday across the Delaware and Maryland beaches, bringing a quieter stretch of weather through late Saturday evening.