Is lightning near Baltimore right now?
Storm season in Baltimore peaks June–August.
Free push alert when lightning approaches Baltimore. Your exact location and alerts live in the app.
Thunderstorm season near Baltimore
Baltimore sits in Maryland, which averages about 35 thunderstorm days a year — roughly 1.4× the national average of 25. Lightning near Baltimore is most frequent June–August.
- MD thunderstorm days/yr
- 35
- Peak season
- June–August
- vs US average
- 1.4×
- Metro population
- ~585.7K
State-level NOAA climatology; a city-specific thunderstorm-day normal isn’t published for every station.
Where Baltimore sits
Baltimore sits at about 95 ft on the coast, where sea-breeze convergence can trigger storms that build fast on summer afternoons — a live nearest-strike distance beats waiting for the rain.
NOAA logged 39 notable lightning events within 50 miles of Baltimore since 2015 — including 21 injuries and 5 deaths.
- Elevation
- 95 ft
- Distance to coast
- On the coast
- Terrain
- Coastal
Source: Elevation: open-meteo.com · Coastline: Natural Earth · Lightning history: NOAA NCEI Storm Events.
Lightning safety in Baltimore
The safest call in Baltimoreisn’t how many storms a year it gets — it’s how close the nearest strike is right now. The 30-30 rule is the baseline: indoors within 30 seconds of thunder, back out only 30 minutes after the last. StrikeCast shows that distance and whether the storm is closing in, so you can act early.
StrikeCast app
Distance, trend & alerts — in your pocket.
GPS-precise distance to the nearest strike, live approaching/moving-away trend, and a push alert before the storm reaches you — no need to keep the app open.
Your exact location stays on your device. Never shared. Never tracked.
Frequently asked
How far away is the nearest lightning to Baltimore?
StrikeCast shows the live distance in miles to the nearest strike near Baltimore, updated continuously from NOAA GOES-GLM satellite data, plus whether it is approaching or moving away.
Is it safe to be outside in Baltimore right now?
If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck. Follow the 30-30 rule: shelter when thunder follows lightning by 30 seconds or less, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder. StrikeCast's distance and trend help you decide before the storm arrives.
When is thunderstorm season in Baltimore?
Baltimore sees the most lightning June–August, the height of the regional storm season.
Can I get lightning alerts for Baltimore?
Yes. Get the free StrikeCast app, save Baltimore, and you will get a push alert when lightning approaches — no need to keep the app open.