Weather whiplash will threaten flowers and tender plants in Maryland as temperatures drop by the hour Tuesday from highs in the 50s to lows in the upper 20s.

The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for much of Central Maryland, starting at midnight and going until 9 a.m. Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to plunge as low as 29 degrees, which could kill crops, flowers and vegetation. Unprotected outdoor plumbing could also face damage.

A hazardous weather outlook expands the freeze alert for the rest of the state. An additional freeze watch is in effect from late Wednesday night through Thursday morning.

The combination of dry air, diminishing winds and clear skies will allow for a lot of radiational cooling and solar radiation from the ground, said Kevin Witt, a meteorologist for the weather service’s Baltimore/Washington office. All of that causes temperatures to drop quickly and steadily throughout the evening.

The winter remembrance that no one asked for won’t last long. Another system will bring warmer, milder weather later this week. The forecast for Thursday and Friday is sunny with highs in the 70s.

There could be a warm front on the way, too, Witt said, which could push temperatures into the mid 80s. The high-pressure system could move offshore, interacting with the flow from the Atlantic and bringing warmth to the region, Witt said.

Springtime is expected to bring above-average temperatures across the U.S., according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, and the seasonal precipitation outlook for Maryland is above normal.

Hopefully, this will be the last time you have to pull layers out of the closet this season.