Wednesday morning started with many areas of patchy frost as temperatures dipped down into the lower to middle 30s across many neighborhoods outside of the Beltway. Wind and warmer temperatures will be the big story for Wednesday afternoon with highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s.

More temperature whiplash is on the way tonight through early next week as major temperature swings continue will continue to impact the area.

Wednesday weather will feature an increasing wind out of the south-southwest at 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph. This will help bump high temperatures into the upper 60s and lower 70s by mid-afternoon Wednesday. Sunshine will start to fade behind increasing clouds, but dry weather is expected through the 5:00 p.m. sunset.

A strong cold front will cross the area Wednesday night with just the slight chance of a spotty spritz or sprinkle. Winds will quickly ramp up right behind the cold front, which will pass through the area around midnight. Wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph are possible for a few hours during the overnight as the next blast of chilly air arrives.

Thursday morning will be a pinch of reality for many of us. After lower 70s Wednesday afternoon, wake-up wind-chills Thursday morning will be in the mid to upper 30s. Despite plenty of sunshine, gusty northwest wind keeps us chilly all day with highs in the upper 50s. Winds will gust 25 to 30 mph. So, while it'll still be breezy, we aren't anticipating winds to be as strong as Wednesday.

As winds lighten Thursday night, expect more widespread patchy areas of frost, especially outside of Baltimore City.

After a cold start Friday morning with more areas of frost, temperatures will rebound into the middle 60s Friday afternoon. Clouds will thicken the second half of the day, but the daylight hours remain dry. Another cold front will cross the area Friday night with scattered showers. Timing of the showers appears to be overnight Friday until sunrise Saturday.

Saturday is the pick of the weekend as of now, with the forecast strongly suggesting it's the better outdoor weather day. Expect any early clouds and light sprinkles or showers to gradually push out before 9 a.m.. Skies will at least partially clear and temperatures warm into the upper 60s to around 70° thanks to another round of gusty winds (similar to Wednesday).

A strong cold front, along with a developing area of low pressure, will bring a big change to our weather on Sunday. Expect overcast skies with showers developing during the morning and continuing on and off throughout the day. The breeze will turn gusty, especially during the afternoon and early evening, out of the south-southwest at 15 to 30 mph. Sunday will be the last mild day with highs in the mid-60s.

As the area of low pressure strengthens and pushes to our northeast, gusty cold northwest winds will follow. This will drop temperatures down into the upper 30s by Sunday night.

Monday and Tuesday will likely be the coldest days of the season yet, with highs in the middle to upper 40s with a blustery breeze each day. While we're not expecting any widespread snow around here, there is the opportunity for the first lake effect snow of the season across upstate New York and Pennsylvania.

While portions of the Great Lakes states may be digging out from their first lake effect snow event of the season, we have the potential for a few flurries late Monday into early Tuesday. No accumulation is expected, but don't be surprised to see the first wet flakes of the season in parts of central and western Maryland. While this isn't a guarantee, it's a growing possibility.

Tuesday will be very cold because of the addition of strong winds. West to northwest winds at 20 mph will gust to 40 mph, sinking wind-chills down into the 20s and 30s for the rest of the day.

Luckily this is just a brief taste of winter weather as temperatures will quickly rebound into the 50s and lower 60s by the middle of next week!

Winds of change across Maryland, warm Wednesday then dramatic drop