Howard County, MD Weather Alerts
Every National Weather Service alert issued for Howard County, Maryland, pushed to your phone within moments — county code MDC027, forecast zone 3 zones (MDZ506, MDZ505, MDZ011). Free with StormCast.
Download on Google PlayHow the NWS identifies Howard County
These are the identifiers the National Weather Service uses when it issues a warning here. StormCast watches MDC027 directly rather than matching on place names, which is why an alert arrives whether you are in Annapolis Junction or anywhere else in the county.
NWS County Code
MDC027
Forecast Zones
3 zones (MDZ506, MDZ505, MDZ011)
Forecast Office
Sterling (LWX)
Radar Station
KLWX
Towns covered in Howard County
An NWS alert for Howard County applies to all 19 of these communities. You do not need a separate alert for each one.
River gauges in and around Howard County
StormCast tracks 12 gauges near Howard County. Set a flood-stage alert on any of them to get notified before the water reaches you.
- Centennial Branch Little Patuxent River at Centennial Lake
- Little Patuxent River below Lake Kittamaqundi
- Little Patuxent River at Centennial
- Little Patuxent River near Guilford
- Little Patuxent River at Allview
- Patuxent River below Brighton Dam
- Hudson Branch near Rogers Avenue at Ellicott City
- at Stonecrest Hills
- Unnamed Tributary at Retention Pond near Columbia Gateway
- Patapsco River at Ellicott City
- Hawlings River near Sandy Spring
- Patapsco River at Woodstock
Current conditions
Loading current conditions…
Alert types issued for Howard County
Tornado
Tornado Warning, Tornado Watch, Tornado Emergency and Severe Thunderstorm Warning.
How tornado alerts work →Flooding
Flash Flood Warning, Flood Watch, Flood Advisory and River Flood Warning.
How flood alerts work →Winter
Winter Storm Warning, Ice Storm Warning, Blizzard Warning and Winter Weather Advisory.
Winter warnings explained →Fire Weather
Red Flag Warning and Fire Weather Watch when conditions favor rapid fire spread.
Fire weather alerts →Heat & Cold
Excessive Heat Warning, Heat Advisory, Freeze Warning and Frost Advisory.
Frost & freeze alerts →Howard County weather alert questions
Which NWS forecast zone is Howard County in?
Howard County, Maryland is NWS county code MDC027 and spans 3 forecast zones (MDZ506, MDZ505, MDZ011). Alerts for it are issued by the Sterling (LWX) Weather Forecast Office, and the nearest NEXRAD radar is KLWX.
Which towns in Howard County are covered?
All of them. NWS alerts are issued at the county and zone level, so a warning for Howard County covers every community inside it, including Annapolis Junction, Clarksville, Columbia, Cooksville, Dayton, Elkridge, Ellicott City, Fulton, Glenelg, Glenwood, Highland, Jessup, Laurel, Lisbon, Savage, Simpsonville, West Friendship, Woodbine and Woodstock.
Are there river gauges in Howard County?
Yes — StormCast monitors 12 river gauges in and around Howard County, including Centennial Branch Little Patuxent River at Centennial Lake, Little Patuxent River below Lake Kittamaqundi, Little Patuxent River at Centennial. You can set a flood-stage alert on any of them and get a push notification when the water rises.
How fast are alerts for Howard County delivered?
StormCast polls the NWS alert feed every 30 seconds. When a warning is issued for MDC027, the push notification goes out within moments — even with your screen off.