Maryland weather: After tornado warnings, storms move through Baltimore area; rain not expected again until Sunday

Storms swept through the Baltimore region Thursday bringing the potential for a tornado before the weather cleared up and left minimal damage.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for most of Thursday evening for Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Harford and Carroll counties, and a few brief warnings, but meteorologists suspended them all.

Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected overnight, forecasters say, with little to no accumulation of rain. The chance of precipitation is 20% and low temperatures will be around 73 degrees.

Earlier Thursday the weather service spotted a storm capable of producing a tornado near Sykesville and headed toward Ellicott City. They urged all in the storm’s path to take shelter immediately.The area was also under a severe thunderstorm watch for most of the evening, and Allegany and Garrett counties remain under the advisory until 9 p.m.

The weather service reported a wind gust of 62 mph at the BWI Marshall Airport during Thursday’s storm. Wind damage in Columbia, Woodlawn, Historic Ellicott City and Gaithersburg was also reported by the meteorologists.

The Howard County Fire Department and Rescue Services said in a tweet that just after the storm they responded to BJ’s Wholesale Club in the 9000 block of Snowden River Parkway.

Parts of the facade of the building had been ripped off and the building was evacuated and closed as a precaution. The fire department said the store is structurally sound. Officials have not yet said whether the damage was caused by the storm.

Warm weather and sunny skies are expected to return Friday with a high of 87 degrees and low of 63. Saturday is expected to be in the low 80s before the potential for wet weather returns Sunday.