Freeze Watch Issued For Montgomery County

ROCKVILLE, MD — Freezing temperatures are possible overnight in parts of Maryland, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Freeze Watch for the region. The temperature may dip to 30 degrees.

The Freeze Watch is effective from midnight to 9 a.m. Friday, April 17.

It applies to Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Queen Anne's, Montgomery, Talbot, and Washington counties.

Frost and freezing conditions could damage crops, sensitive vegetation and outdoor plumbing Friday morning, weather officials advised.

To prepare plants for the freezing conditions, people should cover them.

To keep pipes from bursting, drain the water and then wrap the pipes, officials advise.

Those with in-ground sprinkler systems are encouraged to drain them and cover above-ground pipes to keep them from freezing, according to forecasters.

Here's the forecast, according to the National Weather Service:

Thursday afternoon: Scattered sprinkles and flurries before 3 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. West wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming light west after midnight.

Friday morning/afternoon: A slight chance of showers after 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Light and variable wind becoming south 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.